By: Lindsey Konkel, MyHealthNewsDaily Contributor
Published: 05/01/2013 02:17 PM EDT on MyHealthNewsDaily
Children who live near a noisy road may be at an increased risk of hyperactivity, according to a new study from Germany.
Children in the study who were exposed to the highest noise levels at home showed 28 percent more symptoms of hyperactivity and inattention than kids exposed to the lowest traffic noise levels.
A growing number of studies are showing that environmental stressors, including noise and chemical pollution, may affect children's behavior and mental health, said Michelle Bosquet, a psychologist at Boston Children's Hospital.
Environmental triggers such as traffic noise may impact a child's brain during important developmental periods, increase levels of circulating stress hormones or disrupt a child's ability to sleep and concentrate, said Bosquet, who was not involved in the study.
Previous studies have found an association between exposure to road traffic and aircraft noise at school and child learning problems, though little research has focused on motor vehicle noise at home.
In the new study, researchers led by Carla Tiesler at the Helmholtz Zentrum German Research Center for Environmental Health looked at 900 children living in Munich. The researchers measured noise levels outside of each child's home at the wall of the house, and asked parents to complete a questionnaire about their 10-year-olds' behavior.
Children whose homes had the highest levels of noise at the wall farthest from the road were more than twice as likely to show abnormal emotional symptoms such as excessive worrying or clinginess in new situations than children whose houses may have been quieter. These children also tended to have more problems falling and staying asleep.
One strength of the new study "is its assessment of noise exposure in an environment where children spend the majority of their time, including their sleeping time," Bosquet said.
After the researchers accounted for sleeping problems, the association between road noise and emotional symptoms decreased, suggesting that sleep problems rather than road noise may be partly responsible for the emotional problems.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 8 percent of U.S. kids between ages 3 and 17 have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York, said that sleep problems and ADHD are a chicken-and-egg problem.
"It's unclear which comes first," Adesman said. "Sleep deficit can mimic symptoms of ADHD in kids, though kids with ADHD also tend to have more sleeping problems.
While the study's authors accounted for such factors as families' income levels and children's physical activity levels, which are known to influence child behavior, they cannot say for sure that the association they found was indeed due to road traffic noise, and not some other variable that they did not measure.
The researchers noted they did not measure actual noise levels inside the homes. Some buildings may be better insulated against noise than others, so the noise levels at the outside wall of the home may not reflect the noise experienced within.
The study also did not look at chemical pollution from vehicles, which could explain some of the findings, Adesman said. Previous studies have linked pollution from traffic exhaust to behavior problems in kids.
Bosquet said, "We have much to learn about the mechanisms by which stressors such as traffic noise may influence child health outcomes and how different environmental stressors may interact with each other."
The study was published online in March in the journal Environmental Research.
Follow MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND, Facebook & Google+.
Copyright 2013 MyHealthNewsDaily, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ]]>
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.