Effects of traffic noise around schools on attention and memory in primary school children

Background and Aim: Noise pollution has been of increasing concern worldwide, particularly in urban areas. Children could be particularly vulnerable to the effects of noise because of its potential to interfere with learning at a critical development stage. Most of the learning occurs at school and thus noise exposure at school is most pertinent to its influences on cognitive performance. Hence, the objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the attention and memory in school children exposed to noise with the school children in relatively noise free area in the city of Bengaluru. Methods: The study involved two groups, a case group consisting of 80 students learning in a noise environment of 80.4 dB and a control group consisting of 80 students learning in noise environment of 56.28 dB. Both groups were found to be matched for age, gender, intelligence, and socioeconomic status. Attention and memory were assessed using a battery of performance tests. The results were analyzed for statistical significance. Results: Exposure to high levels of noise during learning significantly reduced scores in attention, working memory with an auditory component, and logical memory. However, there was no significant reduction in working memory with a visual component and visual memory. Conclusion: The results suggest that high levels of noise is a disadvantage to children's learning capacity and learning environment must not be neglected.