Table 1.
Characteristics of the analyzed Heinz Nixdorf Recall study population (n = 3,300), by 24-hr road traffic noise.
| Characteristic | Lden > 55 dB(A) | Lden ≤ 55 dB(A) |
|---|---|---|
| n (percent), mean ± SD, or median (Q1, Q3) | n (percent), mean ± SD, or median (Q1, Q3) | |
| Baseline | ||
| n (percent) | 1,179 (35.7) | 2,121 (64.3) |
| Men | 610 (51.7) | 1,105 (52.1) |
| Age (years) | 59.1 ± 7.7 | 59.3 ± 7.6 |
| Insomnia | 124 (10.5) | 177 (8.4) |
| Missing (n) | 3 | 12 |
| Number of comorbiditiesa | ||
| 0 | 440 (37.3) | 830 (39.1) |
| 1 | 374 (31.7) | 687 (32.4) |
| ≥ 2 | 365 (31.0) | 604 (28.5) |
| Reported (lifetime) prevalence of depression | 70 (7.3) | 106 (6.1) |
| Missing (n) | 225 | 380 |
| Body mass index | 27.9 ± 4.7 | 27.7 ± 4.5 |
| Missing (n) | 6 | 4 |
| Smoking | ||
| Current | 288 (24.4) | 423 (19.9) |
| Former | 419 (35.5) | 778 (36.7) |
| Never | 472 (40.0) | 920 (43.4) |
| Distance to nearest major road (meters) | 532.4 (220.0,1083.1) | 987.7 (552.8,1620.7) |
| Missing (n) | 0 | 5 |
| Unemployed in neighborhood (percent) | 12.8 ± 3.3 | 12.0 ± 3.3 |
| Education (years)b | ||
| ≤ 10 | 111 (9.4) | 165 (7.8) |
| 11–13 | 703 (59.6) | 1,135 (53.5) |
| 14–17 | 251 (21.3) | 525 (24.8) |
| ≥ 18 | 114 (9.7) | 295 (13.9) |
| Missing (n) | 0 | 1 |
| Household net income | ||
| Quartile 1 (low) | 300 (27.0) | 420 (21.1) |
| Quartile 2 | 257 (23.1) | 473 (23.8) |
| Quartile 3 | 290 (26.1) | 502 (25.2) |
| Quartile 4 (high) | 266 (23.9) | 596 (29.9) |
| Missing (n) | 66 | 130 |
| Economic activity | ||
| Employed | 503 (42.7) | 937 (44.2) |
| Inactive | 591 (50.2) | 1,078 (50.8) |
| Unemployed | 84 (7.1) | 106 (5.0) |
| Missing (n) | 1 | 0 |
| City of residence | ||
| Mülheim/Ruhr | 467 (39.6) | 772 (36.4) |
| Bochum | 334 (28.3) | 654 (30.8) |
| Essen | 378 (32.1) | 695 (32.8) |
| Follow-up | ||
| CES-D ≥ 17 and/or antidepressant medication | 127 (10.8) | 175 (8.3) |
| CES-D ≥ 17 | 89 (7.6) | 116 (5.5) |
| Antidepressant medication | 56 (4.8) | 67 (3.2) |
| Missing (n)c | 2 | 3 |
| Moved between baseline and follow-up | ||
| Yes | 214 (18.2) | 314 (14.8) |
| No | 965 (81.9) | 1,807 (85.2) |
| Abbreviations: CES-D, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; dB(A), A-weighted decibels; Lden, average annual 24-hour noise level; Q1, quartile 1 (25th percentile); Q3, quartile 3 (75th percentile). aOf the following: myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, diabetes, emphysema, asthma, cancer, rheumatism, slipped disc, migraine. bCombines school and vocational training. cThese participants were identified as having high depressive symptoms by CES-D and were therefore included. | ||