Transportation Noise and Risk of Tinnitus: A Nationwide Cohort Study from Denmark
Manuella Lech Cantuaria, Ellen Raben Pedersen, Aslak Harbo Poulsen, Ole Raaschou‐Nielsen, Ulla Arthur Hvidtfeldt, Gregor Levin, Steen Solvang Jensen, Jesper Hvass Schmidt, Mette Sørensen
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is a growing body of evidence linking residential exposure to transportation noise with several nonauditory health outcomes. However, auditory outcomes, such as tinnitus, are virtually unexplored. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate the association between residential transportation noise and risk of incident tinnitus. METHODS: ) exposed façades of all Danish addresses from 1990 until 2017. For all participants, we calculated 1-, 5-, and 10-y time-weighted mean noise exposure and retrieved detailed information on individual- and area-level socioeconomic covariates. We conducted analyses using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: followed a positive, monotonic exposure-response relationship. We found no association between railway noise and tinnitus. DISCUSSION: To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that residential exposure to road traffic noise may increase risk of tinnitus, suggesting noise may negatively affect the auditory system. If confirmed, this finding adds to the growing evidence of road traffic noise as a harmful pollutant with a substantial health burden. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11248.