Abstract

GONZALEZ SANCHEZ, Yamile  and  FERNANDEZ DIAZ, Yaíma. Noise pollution in schools: its effect on the health of students and teachers. Rev Cubana Hig Epidemiol [online]. 2014, vol.52, n.3, pp. 402-410. ISSN 1561-3003.

Noise is an environmental pollutant that affects quality of life worldwide. It has an objective and a subjective component, the latter of which has to do with people's sensitivity. Exposed individuals may experience a variety of effects on their health. Noise pollution is found in various settings, among them educational centers. Students and teachers need to concentrate in order to conduct the teaching-learning process satisfactorily. Therefore they are more susceptible to this risk factor. The study was aimed at describing the effects of noise pollution upon the health of students and teachers exposed to this risk factor in schools. An automated search was performed in databases from the Virtual Health Library (MEDLINE, LILACS) and in Google Scholar. Thirty-eight publications were reviewed, of which 19 were included due to their updatedness. A review was also conducted of a final research report, a textbook, and a set of school regulations, all three in Spanish. The main social effect of noise is hearing impairment, and it is considered to be a severe social disadvantage. The main effects upon health may be auditory or non-auditory. The former include the temporary or permanent shift of the hearing threshold. Among the latter are pupil dilation, rapid eye blinking and breathlessness. Noise may also cause psychological disorders.

Keywords : school health; noise pollution; learning.

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