Noise Exposure of School Teachers – Exposure Levels and Health Effects

Abstract

Faculty of Natural and Technical Sciences and Faculty of Medical Sciences starting from December 2012, launched joint study in order to investigate personal noise exposure and associated health effects in general school teachers population, starting from kindergartens up to high schools in Stip, Macedonia.In order to determine workplace associated noise exposure and associated health effects in this specific profession, a full shift noise exposure of 40 teachers from 1 kindergarten, 2 primary and 2 high schools were measured in real conditions using noise dosimeters.A-weighted equivalent-continuous sound pressure levels (LAeq) of each teacher were recorded during single activities (classes). Normalized 8-hours exposure, termed the noise exposure level (L ex,8 h ) was also computed. Daily noise dose is another descriptor for noise exposure that was determined as a measure of the total sound energy to which workers have been exposed, as a result of working in the varying noise levels.Health effects were assessed trough a full scale epidemiological study which included 231 teachers from the same schools. Specific questionnaire was used to extract information about subject's perception on occupational noise exposure, as well as theirs occupational and medical history.

How classroom acoustics influence students and teachers: A systematic literature review

“…The World Health Organization (2015) specifies a standard background noise level of 35 dBA during the teaching of lessons as a guideline for community noise. For proper speech transmission in the classroom, a measurement of 40 dB is considered noise pollution (Hadzi-Nikolova et al, 2013;Yassin et al, 2016).…”

“…Adverse acoustics require more effortful listening (Peng & Wang, 2019), which can imply student poorer performance. Various outdoor and indoor sources of sound may impact on the students' learning processes (Dockrell & Shield, 2012;Santos, Ramos & Seligman, 2013), listening (Woolner & Hall, 2010) and behavior (Prodi & Visentin, 2015), on the teacher's voice (Mendes, Lucena, De Araújo, Melo, Lopes & Silva, 2016) and health (Hadzi-Nikolova, Mirakovski, Zdravkovska, Angelovska & Doneva, 2013;Tiesler, Machner, & Brokmann, 2015), and on communication between students and teachers or among students (Sekine, Asai & Egi, 2018). Health problems in teachers appear in terms of hoarseness, dryness or other voice problems, while bad acoustics could represent in students a worsening of hyperacusis, tinnitus and hearing loss.…”

Resum de la tesi doctoral «Smart Classrooms i l'adveniment de la Quarta Revolució Industrial: anàlisi dels factors clau per al disseny d’aules intel·ligents»

“…L'acústica adversa requereix una escolta més esforçada (Ellen Peng & Wang, 2019), cosa que pot implicar un rendiment inferior dels estudiants. Diverses fonts de so a l'interior i l'exterior poden afectar els processos d'aprenentatge dels estudiants (Dockrell & Shield, 2012;Santos et al, 2013), l'escolta (Woolner & Hall, 2010) i el comportament (Prodi & Visentin, 2015), la veu del professor (Mendes et al, 2016) i la salut (Hadzi-Nikolova et al, 2013;Tiesler et al, 2015), incloent problemes vocals, auditius i d'estrès. També pot representar dificultats en la comunicació entre estudiants i professors o entre estudiants (Sekine et al, 2018).…”

Acoustics in School Sport Halls and Its Implications for Physical Education/Akustika u školskim dvoranama i njezine implikacije na nastavu tjelesnoga odgoja

“…The number of participants in sport halls is large and sometimes several groups of people do different activities simultaneously. Sports activities are inherently loud because of the dribbling of balls, running, jumping, loud talking, sometimes cheering and shouting, using a whistle or other audible signs, or music (Bruck Marçal & Peres, 2011;Hadzi-Nikolova, Mirakovski, Zdravkovska, Angelovska, & Doneva, 2013;Lemoyne, Laurencelle, Lirette, & Trudeau, 2007;Palma, Mattos, Almeida, & Oliveira, 2009).…”

“…The total amount of noise that is created in the course of sports activities is even higher. The average level of noise during lessons is between 74 dB(A) and 101 dB(A), whereas the peak level is between 111 dB(C) and 135 dB(C) (Augustynska, Kaczmarska, Mikulski, & Radosz, 2010;Hadzi-Nikolova et al, 2013;Maffei, Iannace, & Masullo, 2011;Mirbod et al, 1994;Palma et al, 2009). As a result, increasing numbers of national and international regulations and guidelines recommend the limiting of noise and suggest or prescribe minimal levels of sound insulation between different areas in the sport hall and on its external walls (Palma et al, 2009).…”