Hypertension in Indonesian air force pilots.

Background: To investigate the association between aircraft noise and blood pressure. Methods: A nested case-control study was conducted on Indonesian Air Force pilots doing annual medical check-ups at the Saryanto Institute for Aviation and Aerospace Health (LAKESPRA) from 2003 – 2008. The data extracted from medical records were age, total flight hours, type of aircraft, fasting blood glucose and cholesterol levels, waist circumference, height and weight (Body Mass Index), and blood pressure. Results: There were 549 pilots, 49 were found to be hypertensive, with SBP ≥ 140 mmHg and/or DBP ≥ 90 mmHg. Helicopters pilots were at an almost 2 fold risk of hypertension compared to pilots of the fixed wing aircrafts. Pilots with more than 1400 hours of flight had more than 2 fold risk of being hypertensive compared to those with 1400 flight hours or less. Conclusion: The type of aircraft, which is related to the noise generated, may be a risk factor for developing hypertension in pilots. Increased total flight hours also increased the risk of hypertension.

High intensity interior aircraft noise increases the risk of high diastolic blood pressure in Indonesian Air Force pilots.

Aim: To analyze the effects of aircraft noise, resting pulse rate, and other factors on the risk of high diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in Indonesian Air Force pilots. Methods: A nested case-control study was conducted using data extracted from annual medical check-ups indoctrination aerophysiologic training records at the Saryanto Aviation and Aerospace Health Institute (LAKESPRA) in Jakarta from January 2003 – September 2008. For analysis of DBP: the case group with DBP ≥ 90 mmHg were compared with contral group with DBP < 79 mmHG. One case matched to 12 controls. Results: Out of 567 pilots, 544 (95.9%) had complete medical records. For this analysis there were 40 cases of high DBP and 480 controls for DBP. Pilots exposed to aircraft noise 90-95 dB rather than 70-80 dB had a 2.7-fold increase for high DBP [adjusted odds ratio (ORa) = 2.70; 95% confi dence interval (CI ) = 1.05-6.97]. Pilots with resting pulse rates of ≥ 81/minute rather than ≤ 80/minute had a 2.7-fold increase for high DBP (ORa = 2.66; 95% CI = 1.26-5.61). In terms of total fl ight hours, pilots who had 1401-11125 hours rather than 147-1400 hours had a 3.2-fold increase for high DBP (ORa = 3.18; 95% CI = 1.01-10.03). Conclusion: High interior aircraft noise, high total flight hours, and high resting pulse rate, increased risk for high DBP. Self assessment of resting pulse rate can be used to control the risk of high DBP.

Study on the Health Status of the Residents near Military Airbases in Pyeongtaek City / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES: We conducted an epidemiologic survey to evaluate the effect of the aircraft noise exposure on the health of the residents near the military airbases in Pyeongtaek City. METHODS: The evaluation of environmental noise level, questionnaire survey, and health examination were performed for 917 residents. The study population consisted of four groups: subjects who lived in the village close to the fighter airbase (high exposure), subjects who lived along the course of fighters (intermediate exposure), and subjects near a helicopter airbase, and the control group. RESULTS: The prevalence of the aircraft noise related accident and irritable bowel syndrome in the exposure groups were higher than that of the control group. The risks of noise induced hearing loss, hypertension and diabetes mellitus were higher in the exposed groups than in the control group. The prevalence of anxiety disorder and primary insomnia were higher in the exposed groups than in the control group. Prevalence odd ratios of the risk for primary insomnia after adjusting age, sex, agricultural noise, and occupation were 4.03 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.56-10.47] for the subject near the helicopter airbase, 1.23 (95% CI 0.40-3.76) for those intermediately exposed to fighter noise, and 4.99 (95% CI 2.14-11.64) for those highly exposed to fighter noise. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study suggest that the aircraft noise may have adverse effects on hearing function, cardiovascular health and mental health. Therefore, it seems to be needed to take proper measures including the control of the aircraft noise and the management of the exposed people's health.

Expose to Chronic Aircraft Noise and Emotion, Behavior Characteristics in Korean Children / 항공우주의학회지

BACKGROUND: This study was focused on the influence of chronic aircraft noise exposure on children's emotional and behavioral characteristics in Korean children. METHODS: We enrolled 586 4th~6th grade children of seven primary schools near airbases in Korea. The Korean version of Child Behavior Checklist, Korean Personality Inventory for Children, Kovac's Children's Depression Inventory, and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory involving 2 schools in a helicopter noise-impacted urban area and 3 schools in a fighter plane noise-impacted urban area were compared with those of children from 2 matched control schools in low-aircraft noise-impacted urban areas in Korea. RESULTS: Family discomfort and autistic symptoms of Korean personality inventory for children were significantly higher among children in schools in a helicopter and a fighter plane noise environment compared to the low noised schools. Also, Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory was significantly higher among children in schools in a helicopter and a fighter plane noise environment compared to the low noise schools. CONCLUSION: Children in a chronic aircraft noise environment schools was shown to be associated with a higher rate of autistic behavior and family discomfort. Also there was a possibility for chronic aircraft noise exposure to be associated with family environment function other than depression and anxiety.

Chronic Aircraft Noise Exposure and Sustained Attention, Continuous Performance and Cognition in Children

OBJECTIVES: This study was focused on the influence of chronic aircraft noise exposure on children's continuous performance, intelligence and reading skill. METHODS: We enrolled 586 children in 4-6th grade of 7 primary schools near air base in Korea. Continuous performance was measured using the computerized ADS program. We analyzed 477-512 children on the visual continuous performance test, auditory continuous performance test, intelligence test, and reading and the vocabulary test. Intelligence was measured using vocabulary, digit span, block design, and digit symbol tests of K-WISC-III. RESULTS: The commission error and variability deviation of auditory continuous performance test and reading test were significantly higher among children in schools with the helicopter noise and the fighting plane noise compared to children in the low noised schools. CONCLUSION: There was a possibility that chronic aircraft noise exposure was associated with impairment of the school performance. The result of our study also shows chronic aircraft noise was associated with reading ability.

Association between the Reproductive Health and Aircraft Noise Exposure ofthe U.S Military Campside Town in Pyeongtaek City / 항공우주의학회지

BACKGROUND: The goal of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of aircraft noise exposure on the reproductive health among the women residents of the U.S Military Campside Town in Pyung Tak City. METHODS: The exposed group (environmental noise level, 67.7-81.5dBA) consisted of 344 women, and the control group (52.6-54dBA) 147 women. All participants were asked to fill out a self-administered questionnaire about reproductive health, menstruation related symptoms and the characteristics of the cycle. RESULTS: Self-rated menstruation related symptoms of the aircraft noise exposed group were higher than that of the control group. The age at menarche of noise exposed group was later than the control group, according to stratification by age and education level The age at postmenopause similar to the age at menarche was later that the control group. CONCLUSION: The exposure to aircraft noise can be considered to have detrimental risk to the reproductive health of wemen.

Health Effects of Aircraft Noise on Residents Living Near an Airport / 대한산업의학회지

Objectives ; This study was conducted to reveal the health effects of aircraft noise on the residents live near the military airport. METHODS: We sampled systematically 87 residents as the high exposed group, 58 residents as the low exposed group according to the geographical distance from the airport. We also sampled 67 residents as the control group lived far from the airport. Noise levels were measured for conform the exposures. Self-administered questionnaires for symptoms, air conduction hearing threshold level, blood pressure blood cholesterol with health examinations, and SCL-90-R were introduced to get the data from the residents. RESULTS: The Ld/n at the area near the airport was 72.4 dB, however that of control area was 67. 7 dB. The value of pure tone average, high pure tone average, and threshold of 4,000 Hz were decreased with exposure level significantly. Linear regression analysis showed that the noise exposure level of the airport was related to the hearing threshold at pure tone average, threshold of 4,000 Hz, and high pure tone average. The systemic and diastolic blood pressure showed dose-response relationship with noise exposure. The prevalence of hypertension was higher in exposed group, but not statistically significant. In linear regression, noise level was related to systolic and diastolic blood pressure with other variables such as age, sex, BMI (Body Mass Index), and family history of hypertension. SCL-90-R showed that exposed group had higher score significantly in neurotic and psychologic variable and felt the various somatic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that aircraft noise would influence hearing loss at low frequencies as well as 4,000 Hz and higher frequencies, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and psychological response.

The effects of aircraft noise on the hearing loss, blood pressure and response to psychological stress / 예방의학회지

In effort to determine whether aircraft noise can have health effects such as hearing loss, hypertension and psychological stress, a total of 111 male professors and administrative officers working a college near a military airport in Korea(exposed group) and a total of 168 males and 112 females matched by age groups(control groups) were analyzed. Personal noise exposure and indoor and outdoor sound level of jet aircraft noise were measured at the exposed area. And pure tone, air conduction test and measurement of blood pressure were given to the exposed(males) and matched control groups(males and females). BEPSI(Brief Encounter Psychological Instrument) and psychological response to aircraft noise were examined for the exposed group. The noise dosimetry results revealed time-weighted averages(TWAs) that ranged from 61 to 68 dBA. However the levels encountered during taking off jet airplanes reached 126 dBA for two half minutes time period. The audiometric test showed that mean values of HTL(hearing threshold level) in exposed group at every frequency(500, 1,000, 2,000, 4,000, and 8,000 Hz were much lower than them of male and female control groups. And in old age groups, interaction of age and noise was observed at 8,000 Hz in both ears(p< 0.05). Conclusively, aircraft noise does not appear to induce hearing loss directly, but may decreased hearing threshold level by interaction of aging process and noise exposure. However, difference of mean values of exposed and control groups on blood pressure was not significantly. In psychological test, annoyance was the most severe psychological response to noise in exposed group, but mean value of BEPSI was not correlated with job duration in exposed group