The Effects of Airplane Noise on Health: An Examination of Three Hypotheses

Abstract

DAVID B. GRAEVEN California State University, Hayward This study, based on a sample of 552 persons at five levels of exposure to airplane noise, examined the effects of exposure, awareness, and annoyance reactions to airplane noise, and cognitions about airplane noise on health problems. Awareness and annoyance reactions to noise had the strongest relationship with health problems. Those persons who were more aware of the noise were more likely to have health problems than those persons who were not aware. Level of exposure to airplane noise was not related to health problems at the zero-order level and, although there were some significant relationships, cognitions about noise were not consistently related to the number of health problems. The results showed that a social psychological approach contributed to an understanding of the effects of airplane noise on health problems.