Annoyance toward transportation and construction noise in rural suburban and urban regions across Canada

ABSTRACT

The Canadian Perspectives on Environmental Noise Survey investigated expectations and attitudes toward environmental noise in rural/remote, suburban and urban regions across Canada. A 26-item online questionnaire was completed by 6647 randomly selected Canadians 18 years of age and older between April 12, 2021 and May 25, 2021. Stepwise multivariate logistic regression modelled the odds of reporting very or extreme (i.e., high) noise annoyance toward road traffic, aircraft/helicopter, trains and construction noise. Five variables were common to all noise sources;1) reporting the living area as very quiet, calm and relaxing;2) sleep disturbance in general;3) sleep disturbance attributed to road traffic noise;4) noise sensitivity;and 5) reporting worsened annoyance toward environmental noise due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Duration of residency, perceived changes in nighttime and daytime noise over time, expectations of quiet, other specific causes of sleep disturbance, hearing impairment, road traffic audibility, and the impact of the pandemic on physical health, mental health, stress and indoor noise annoyance, each impacted the odds of reporting high annoyance to some, but not all modelled sources. Gender, rated physical and mental health (in general), anxiety or depression, overall well-being, and Indigenous status did not enter any of the multivariate models. Results are discussed in relation to the provision of advice on noise under Canada's Impact Assessment Act.