Kellie Manifold

Exposure to environmental noise pollution is considered an important public health issue in our world today. Environmental noise is sound that is generated by humans through things such as transportation networks and construction sites. Research has shown that exposure to noise can result in a variety of adverse health effects, such as annoyance, sleep disturbance, and ischemic heart disease. Furthermore, research has found that exposure to higher levels of noise is consistently associated with people who are of lower socioeconomic status. This study aims to determine the burden of disease rates in Toronto and London, Ontario, while also addressing the relationship between noise exposure and socioeconomic status. Based on a review of literature and building on existing work, burden of disease calculations were carried out to determine the amount of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lost in each city, while a linear regression model was used to determine the relationship between exposure to noise and socioeconomic status. Burden of disease calculations demonstrated that 1188 and 1662 DALYs were lost in Toronto and London, respectively. In addition, this analysis of exposure to noise and socioeconomic status resulted in a moderate correlation of exposure to noise and low socioeconomic status. Indicating that as noise levels increase the socioeconomic status of an individual decreases. These results combined indicate that there is a double burden of poorer health and low socioeconomic status related to exposure to environmental noise pollution.