Determination of the Sleep Quality of Residents in İzmir Yaylaköy, Ovacık and Küçükkaya and Evaluating Its Association with Environmental Noise
Project no. 20559 · Status: Kapanmış · 2019
Summary
Introduction and Aim: Wind turbine noise can cause systematic outcomes like physiological symptoms, hypertension, sleep psychological disturbance by inducing environmental stress. The aim of this study is to evaluate the sleep quality of people living in Küçükkaya and people living in the vicinity of wind turbines in Yaylaköy and Ovacık and examine the relation between sleep quality and socio-economic status, risk perception, health status and wind turbine noise. It has also been targeted to determine the association between enviromental noise and health symptoms, chronic diseases by carrying out environmental noise measurements. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional research, 343 people have been formed the research group. Various type of data has been collected by questionnaire on people who live nearby wind turbine as well as by measuring blood pressure and environmental noise measurements.Financial support for noise measurements was provided by Ege University Scientific Research Project Coordinator. The chi-square test was performed to examine the relationship of dependent variable with other variables. Results: 282 person has participated the study, the covarage rate was 82,2%. 50.4% of the study group are women and the average age is 56.4± 17.5. Nearest house was located 586 m away from a turbine. Among the 38.7% of the participants stated that they live close to a turbine, 33.6 % of them think they should be monitored in terms of health effects and 55.6 % of them remarked that people live in the area should have right to comment on construction of the wind turbines. It was found that; 26.2 % of the study group stated general annoyance toward turbines and 57.5 % of them had noise annoyance. Among the participants; women, those above age of 57, who has chronic diseases and that has been diagnosed hypertension had statistically worse sleep quality (p=0,011; 0,025; 0,019; 0,039). Conclusion: Although no direct relation between noise and sleep has been found, symptoms associated with noise influence the quality of sleep negatively. The participants who exposure higher levels of day time noise have stated more health symptoms associated with noise. The group who has negative risk perception is seen as more annoyed by wind turbines. In the planning and the construction phase of the wind power projects the potential risk of environmental changes should be considered. Protective public health practices should be implemented regarding the possible negative effects of wind power plants. Key Words: Wind Turbine, Sleep Quality, Health Effects, Annoyance