None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Increased sustainable “green” energy production has led to rapid expansion of wind farm facilities in Australia and world-wide. This has been associated with community complaints regarding noise emissions that include “infra-sound” (noise below average hearing threshold), and concerns that this may have negative effects on sleep and health. International studies so far remain inconclusive and none have included any direct measurements of sleep so it remains unclear how disturbing wind farm noise is to sleep. Ongoing uncertainty in this area remains a problem for communities close to wind farm facilities, government regulators, wind energy producers and the broader community. This project is specifically designed to address knowledge gaps concerning potential wind farm noise effects on sleep using the most sensitive techniques currently available for assessing sleep disturbance. The results of this study will help to inform the potential need for improved noise regulation and abatement strategies to minimise potential sleep and health impacts. This survey is the first part of a larger project, and is designed to identify people who report being affected by wind farm noise and others who do not, to be invited to participate in a home sleep and noise measurement study, or a later in-laboratory study at Flinders University. This survey is largely based on that developed by Health Canada to study wind farm effects on health and is being used with permission from the Health Canada study team, but has been modified based on input from Australian noise and sleep researchers, and community representatives from areas affected by wind farm or traffic noise. The aim of the survey is to identify 4 groups according to overnight noise exposure type and level of complaints. Individuals within these groups will be sequentially invited to participate in further field measurement and in-laboratory studies.
Interventions
This survey will recruit participants from stratified samples of wind farm exposed and wind farm naïve participants in order to reduce bias effects. Our aim is to use the most appropriate sampling methods to draw a random sample of individuals in relevant exposure groups (within a 10 km radius of the nearest turbine in targeted areas vs control regions). We will then apply Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI) to examine sleep and noise problem frequencies as a function of proximity to k
This survey will recruit participants from stratified samples of wind farm exposed and wind farm naïve participants in order to reduce bias effects. Our aim is to use the most appropriate sampling methods to draw a random sample of individuals in relevant exposure groups (within a 10 km radius of the nearest turbine in targeted areas vs control regions). We will then apply Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI) to examine sleep and noise problem frequencies as a function of proximity to known noise sources. Telephone interviewers will cold call pre-selected individuals as many times as is needed until either survey responses are obtained from specific individuals pre-selected with a predetermined probability of selection, or multiple and repeated attempts fail to elicit a response. This approach specifically aims to obtain the least biased representation of noise impacts on exposure versus comparator populations, and has yet to be conducted in any wind farm exposed-population worldwide. The survey will include key elements from a survey already developed and used in a Health Canada study. It will be brief and will specifically focus on sleep, with only general night-time noise questions directly relevant to sleep and proximity to noise sources within the past 3 months. To gain further insights into effects, follow-up validated questionnaires (i.e., Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI; Insomnia Severity Index, ISI; Epworth Sleepiness Scale, ESS) quality of life (EQ-5D) and Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire (FOSQ), will be sent via postal mail to all residents who consent to being contacted regarding further participation in the survey. Return envelopes and reminders will be used to maximise response rates.
Sponsors
Flinders University
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
1. Age: > 17 years. 2. Willing and able to complete the survey. Consent will be implied on the basis of survey completion given that separate consent is not practical for online survey tools we plan to predominantly use where possible.
Exclusion criteria
Language difficulties that might preclude informed consent and study questionnaire completion.
Outcome results
None listed