Maria Foraster - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Maria Foraster

One pathway through which noise contributes to cardiovascular diseases could relate to noise anno... more One pathway through which noise contributes to cardiovascular diseases could relate to noise annoyance, impaired sleep, and reduced physical activity. We investigated the association of longterm annoyance to residential transportation noise with physical activity and its change over time. We assessed 3,622 participants (age 38-80) that attended all visits of the population-based Swiss SAPALDIA cohort. Physical activity was defined as being at least sufficiently active (i.e. > 150 min/week, Yes/No) and as the change from visit 2 to 3: remaining active/inactive or becoming active/inactive. Participants reported noise annoyance to 24-hour transportation noise (all visits) and to specific sources at night, i.e. road traffic, railway, and aircraft (visit 3) on an ICBEN-type 11-point scale. Long-term transportation noise annoyance was calculated as the average across visits. We used multivariate and multinomial logistic regression for cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, respecti...

International journal of environmental research and public health, Dec 1, 2017

Traffic noise has been linked to diabetes, with limited understanding of its mechanisms. We hypot... more Traffic noise has been linked to diabetes, with limited understanding of its mechanisms. We hypothesize that night-time road traffic noise (RTN) may impair glucose homeostasis through circadian rhythm disturbances. We prospectively investigated the relationship between residential night-time RTN and subsequent eight-year change in glycosylated hemoglobin (ΔHbA1c) in 3350 participants of the Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults (SAPALDIA), adjusting for diabetes risk factors and air pollution levels. Annual average RTN (Lnight) was assigned to participants in 2001 using validated Swiss noise models. HbA1c was measured in 2002 and 2011 using liquid chromatography. We applied mixed linear models to explore RTN-ΔHbA1c association and its modification by a genetic risk score of six common circadian-related MTNR1B variants (MGRS). A 10 dB difference in RTN was associated with a 0.02% (0.003-0.04%) increase in mean ΔHbA1c in 2142 non-movers. RTN-ΔHbA1c ...

Environmental Health Perspectives, 2017

BACKGROUND: The impact of different transportation noise sources and noise environments on arteri... more BACKGROUND: The impact of different transportation noise sources and noise environments on arterial stiffness remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the association between residential outdoor exposure to annual average road, railway, and aircraft noise levels, total noise intermittency (IR), and total number of noise events (NE) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) following a cross-sectional design. METHODS: We measured baPWV (meters/second) in 2,775 participants (49-81 y old) at the second follow-up (2010-2011) of the Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults (SAPALDIA). We assigned annual average road, railway, and aircraft noise levels (Lden source), total day-and nighttime NE time and IR time (percent fluctuation = 0%, none or constant noise; percent fluctuation = 100%, high fluctuation) at the most exposed façade using 2011 Swiss noise models. We applied multivariable linear mixed regression models to analyze associations. RESULTS: Medians [interquartile ranges (IQRs)] were baPWV = 13:4 (3.1) m/s; Lden air ð57:6% exposedÞ = 32:8 (8.0) dB; Lden rail ð44:6% exposedÞ = 30:0 (8.1) dB; Lden road (99.7% exposed): 54.2 (10.6) dB; NE night = 123 (179); NE day = 433 (870); IR night = 73% (27); and IR day = 63:8% (40.3). We observed a 0.87% (95% CI: 0.31, 1.43%) increase in baPWV per IQR of Lden rail , which was greater with IR night > 80% or with daytime sleepiness. We observed a nonsignificant positive association between Lden road and baPWV in urban areas and a negative tendency in rural areas. NE night , but not NE day , was associated with baPWV. Associations were independent of the other noise sources and air pollution. Conclusions: Long-term exposure to railway noise, particularly in an intermittent nighttime noise environment, and to nighttime noise events, mainly related to road noise, may affect arterial stiffness, a major determinant of cardiovascular disease. Ascertaining noise exposure characteristics beyond average noise levels may be relevant to better understand noise-related health effects.

Sleep, 2017

Introduction: Sleep is considered one of the most important components of recovery for athletes, ... more Introduction: Sleep is considered one of the most important components of recovery for athletes, and sleep optimisation may assist athletes in achieving peak performance. Currently, it is thought that sleep quality and quantity are negatively affected by electronic device use (e.g. laptops, smartphones, televisions), but the mechanism underlying this relationship is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the influence of different types of tasks (i.e. puzzles vs. reading) performed with or without an electronic device (tablet) on pre-sleep alertness and sleep quality. Methods: Eight highly-trained netball players attended a sleep laboratory for pre-sleep testing and polysomnographic sleep monitoring on five separate occasions (1 familiarisation and 4 experimental sessions), each conducted at least one week apart. During the 2 h prior to bedtime in each experimental session, athletes completed cognitively stimulating tasks (puzzles) or passive tasks (reading) administered with or without an electronic device (tablet). The order of task administration was randomised. Sleep measures were obtained from polysomnography and questionnaires; melatonin concentration was measured via saliva samples. Sleep measures were compared using repeated measures ANOVA. Effect sizes were calculated using Cohen's d statistic. Results: The increase in melatonin concentration was significantly greater after reading compared to completing puzzles on a tablet (p=0.02), but was not different between any other conditions. A moderate-large effect size indicated that perceived sleepiness tended to be greater after reading compared to completing puzzles without a tablet (d=0.80), but not with a tablet. There were no significant differences in sleep duration, sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset, sleep efficiency or percentage of time spent in each stage of sleep between any of the conditions. Conclusion: These data suggest that using a tablet for 2 h prior to sleep does not negatively affect subsequent sleep in athletes. Further research is required to better understand the relationship between evening electronic device use and sleep. Support (If Any

Environment international, Oct 1, 2017

Until now, estimates of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) have mainly been produced on national ... more Until now, estimates of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) have mainly been produced on national or regional levels. These general estimates, however, are less useful for city governments who have to take decisions on local scales. To address this gap, we focused on the city-level burden of disease (BD) due to exposures affected by urban and transport planning. We conducted a BD assessment using the Urban and Transport Planning Health Impact Assessment (UTOPHIA) tool to estimate annual preventable morbidity and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) under compliance with international exposure recommendations for physical activity (PA), exposure to air pollution, noise, heat, and access to green spaces in Barcelona, Spain. Exposure estimates and morbidity data were available for 1,357,361 Barcelona residents ≥20years (2012). We compared recommended with current exposure levels to estimate the associated BD. We quantified associations between exposures and morbidities and calculated ...

European journal of epidemiology, Apr 1, 2017

Most studies published to date consider single noise sources and the reported noise metrics are n... more Most studies published to date consider single noise sources and the reported noise metrics are not informative about the peaking characteristics of the source under investigation. Our study focuses on the association between cardiovascular mortality in Switzerland and the three major transportation noise sources-road, railway and aircraft traffic-along with a novel noise metric termed intermittency ratio (IR), expressing the percentage contribution of individual noise events to the total noise energy from all sources above background levels. We generated Swiss-wide exposure models for road, railway and aircraft noise for 2001. Noise from the most exposed façade was linked to geocodes at the residential floor height for each of the 4.41 million adult (>30 y) Swiss National Cohort participants. For the follow-up period 2000-2008, we investigated the association between all noise exposure variables [Lden(Road), Lden(Rail), Lden(Air), and IR at night] and various cardiovascular prim...

International journal of epidemiology, Aug 13, 2017

Epidemiological studies have inconsistently linked transportation noise and air pollution (AP) wi... more Epidemiological studies have inconsistently linked transportation noise and air pollution (AP) with diabetes risk. Most studies have considered single noise sources and/or AP, but none has investigated their mutually independent contributions to diabetes risk. We investigated 2631 participants of the Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults (SAPALDIA), without diabetes in 2002 and without change of residence between 2002 and 2011. Using questionnaire and biomarker data, incident diabetes cases were identified in 2011. Noise and AP exposures in 2001 were assigned to participants' residences (annual average road, railway or aircraft noise level during day-evening-night (Lden), total night number of noise events, intermittency ratio (temporal variation as proportion of event-based noise level over total noise level) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) levels. We applied mixed Poisson regression to estimate the relative risk (RR) of diabetes and their 95% c...

Thorax, Sep 1, 2017

Study of the causes of the reduced levels of physical activity in patients with COPD has been sca... more Study of the causes of the reduced levels of physical activity in patients with COPD has been scarce and limited to biological factors. To assess the relationship between novel socio-environmental factors, namely dog walking, grandparenting, neighbourhood deprivation, residential surrounding greenness and residential proximity to green or blue spaces, and amount and intensity of physical activity in COPD patients. This cross-sectional study recruited 410 COPD patients from five Catalan municipalities. Dog walking and grandparenting were assessed by questionnaire. Neighbourhood deprivation was assessed using the census Urban Vulnerability Index, residential surrounding greenness by the satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, and residential proximity to green or blue spaces as living within 300 m of such a space. Physical activity was measured during 1 week by accelerometer to assess time spent on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and vector magnitude un...

Environmental health perspectives, Jan 27, 2016

By 2050, almost 70% of people globally are projected to live in urban areas. As the environments ... more By 2050, almost 70% of people globally are projected to live in urban areas. As the environments we inhabit affect our health, urban and transport designs that promote healthy living are needed. We estimated the number of premature deaths preventable under compliance with international exposure recommendations for physical activity (PA), air pollution, noise, heat, and access to green spaces. We developed and applied the Urban and TranspOrt Planning Health Impact Assessment (UTOPHIA) tool to Barcelona. Exposure estimates and mortality data were available for 1357361 residents. We compared recommended with current exposure levels. We quantified the associations between exposures and mortality and calculated population attributable fractions to estimate the number of premature deaths preventable. We also modeled life-expectancy and economic impacts. We estimated that annually almost 20% of mortality could be prevented if international recommendations for performance of PA, exposure to...

Environment international, 2016

Noise annoyance (NA) might lead to behavioral patterns not captured by noise levels, which could ... more Noise annoyance (NA) might lead to behavioral patterns not captured by noise levels, which could reduce physical activity (PA) either directly or through impaired sleep and constitute a noise pathway towards cardiometabolic diseases. We investigated the association of long-term transportation NA and its main sources (aircraft, road, and railway) at home with PA levels. We assessed 3842 participants (aged 37-81) that attended the three examinations (SAP 1, 2, and 3 in years 1991, 2001 and 2011, respectively) of the population-based Swiss cohort on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults (SAPALDIA). Participants reported general 24-h transportation NA (in all examinations) and source-specific NA at night (only SAP 3) on an ICBEN-type 11-point scale. We assessed moderate, vigorous, and total PA from a short-questionnaire (SAP 3). The main outcome was moderate PA (active/inactive: cut-off≥150min/week). We used logistic regression including random effects by area and adjustin...

Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology, Jan 21, 2015

People are often exposed to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) during physical activity (PA), b... more People are often exposed to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) during physical activity (PA), but it is not clear if PA modifies the impact of TRAP on cardiac autonomic modulation. We conducted a panel study among 28 healthy adults in Barcelona, Spain to examine how PA may modify the impact of TRAP on cardiac autonomic regulation. Participants completed four 2-h exposure scenarios that included either rest or intermittent exercise in high- and low-traffic environments. Time- and frequency-domain measures of heart rate variability (HRV) were monitored during each exposure period along with continuous measures of TRAP. Linear mixed-effects models were used to estimate the impact of TRAP on HRV as well as potential effect modification by PA. Exposure to TRAP was associated with consistent decreases in HRV; however, exposure-response relationships were not always linear over the broad range of exposures. For example, each 10 μg/m(3) increase in black carbon was associated with a 23% (...

Environmental Health Perspectives, 2015

d'en Melis, and Virolai. We also acknowledge the ESCAPE project for the design and supervision mo... more d'en Melis, and Virolai. We also acknowledge the ESCAPE project for the design and supervision modeling of air pollution. Furthermore, X. Mayoral did the technical development of the n-back test; and C. Persavento, J. Gonzalez, L. Bouso, and P. Figueras contributed to the field work. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Research Council under the ERC Grant Agreement (ERC-AdG 2010 GA#268479). P.D. is funded by a Ramón y Cajal fellowship (RYC-2012-10995) awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. M.G. is funded by a Miguel Servet fellowship (MS13/00054) awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. The authors declare they have no actual or potential competing financial interests.

International journal of environmental research and public health, Jan 18, 2015

This study aimed to describe the degree of annoyance among pregnant women in a Spanish cohort and... more This study aimed to describe the degree of annoyance among pregnant women in a Spanish cohort and to examine associations with proximity to traffic, NO2 and benzene exposure. We included 2457 participants from the Spanish Childhood and Environment study. Individual exposures to outdoor NO2 and benzene were estimated, temporally adjusted for pregnancy. Interviews about sociodemographic variables, noise and air pollution were carried out. Levels of annoyance were assessed using a scale from 0 (none) to 10 (strong and unbearable); a level of 8 to 10 was considered high. The reported prevalence of high annoyance levels from air pollution was 11.2% and 15.0% from noise; the two variables were moderately correlated (0.606). Significant correlations between NO2 and annoyance from air pollution (0.154) and that from noise (0.181) were observed. Annoyance owing to noise and air pollution had a low prevalence in our Spanish population compared with other European populations. Both factors wer...

Atmospheric Environment, 2015

h i g h l i g h t s 20-min measurements of air pollution, noise and road traffic were taken at 14... more h i g h l i g h t s 20-min measurements of air pollution, noise and road traffic were taken at 141 sites. Traffic noise levels and traffic counts were far more constant over time than ultrafine particles number concentrations. Simultaneous measurements of traffic count and noise were moderately to well correlated. Simultaneous measurements of ultrafine particles and noise were poorly correlated. This should allow future studies to disentangle the short-term effects of ultrafine particles and noise.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2014

Introduction: High noise exposure during critical periods in gestation is a potential stressor th... more Introduction: High noise exposure during critical periods in gestation is a potential stressor that may result in increased risk of implantation failure, dysregulation of placentation or decrease of uterine blood flow. This paper systematically reviews published evidence on associations between reproductive outcomes and occupational and environmental noise exposure. Methods: The Web of Science, PubMed and Embase electronic databases were searched for papers published between 1970 to June 2014 and via colleagues. We included 14 epidemiological studies related to occupational noise exposure and nine epidemiological studies related to environmental noise exposure. There was some evidence for associations between occupational noise exposure and low birthweight, preterm birth and small for gestational age, either independently or together with other occupational risk factors. Five of six epidemiologic studies, including the two largest studies, found significant associations between lower birthweight and higher noise exposure. There were few studies on other outcomes and study design issues may have led to bias in assessments in some studies. Conclusions: There is evidence for associations between noise exposure and adverse reproductive outcomes from animal studies. Few studies in have been conducted in humans but there is some suggestive evidence of adverse associations with environmental noise from both occupational and epidemiological studies, especially for low birthweight.

Environmental Health Perspectives, 2015

We thank all study participants and the dedicated personnel of the four cohorts. We gratefully ac... more We thank all study participants and the dedicated personnel of the four cohorts. We gratefully acknowledge the collaboration with K.

Atmospheric Environment, 2014

h i g h l i g h t s Spatial variation of short-term (20-min) UFP concentration was assessed in Ba... more h i g h l i g h t s Spatial variation of short-term (20-min) UFP concentration was assessed in Basel. Hybrid models were built to predict UFP levels on sidewalks. The main predictor (explained 50%) was the suburban background UFP level. Best models included both GIS variables and field observations (R 2 ¼ 0.7). Concurrent UFP on the sidewalks and nearby residences correlated well (R 2 ¼ 0.8).

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 2014

Noise prediction models and noise maps are used to estimate the exposure to road traffic noise, b... more Noise prediction models and noise maps are used to estimate the exposure to road traffic noise, but their availability and the quality of the noise estimates is sometimes limited. This paper explores the application of land use regression (LUR) modelling to assess the long-term intraurban spatial variability of road traffic noise in three European cities. Short-term measurements of road traffic noise taken in Basel, Switzerland (n = 60), Girona, Spain (n = 40), and Grenoble, France (n = 41), were used to develop two LUR models: (a) a "GIS-only" model, which considered only predictor variables derived with Geographic Information Systems; and (b) a "Best" model, which in addition considered the variables collected while visiting the measurement sites. Both noise measurements and noise estimates from LUR models were compared with noise estimates from standard noise models developed for each city by the local authorities. Model performance (adjusted R 2) was 0.66-0.87 for "GIS-only" models, and 0.70-0.89 for "Best" models. Shortterm noise measurements showed a high correlation (r = 0.62-0.78) with noise estimates from the standard noise models. LUR noise estimates did not show any systematic differences in the spatial patterns when compared with those from standard noise models. LUR modelling with accurate GIS source data can be a promising tool for noise exposure assessment with applications in epidemiological studies.

Environmental Health Perspectives, 2014

Background: Traffic noise has been associated with prevalence of hypertension, but reports are in... more Background: Traffic noise has been associated with prevalence of hypertension, but reports are inconsistent for blood pressure (BP). To ascertain noise effects and to disentangle them from those suspected to be from traffic-related air pollution, it may be essential to estimate people's noise exposure indoors in bedrooms. oBjectives: We analyzed associations between long-term exposure to indoor traffic noise in bedrooms and prevalent hypertension and systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) BP, considering longterm exposure to outdoor nitrogen dioxide (NO 2). Methods: We evaluated 1,926 cohort participants at baseline (years 2003-2006; Girona, Spain). Outdoor annual average levels of nighttime traffic noise (L night) and NO 2 were estimated at postal addresses with a detailed traffic noise model and a land-use regression model, respectively. Individual indoor traffic L night levels were derived from outdoor L night with application of insulations provided by reported noise-reducing factors. We assessed associations for hypertension and BP with multi-exposure logistic and linear regression models, respectively. results: Median levels were 27.1 dB(A) (indoor L night), 56.7 dB(A) (outdoor L night), and 26.8 μg/m 3 (NO 2). Spearman correlations between outdoor and indoor L night with NO 2 were 0.75 and 0.23, respectively. Indoor L night was associated both with hypertension (OR = 1.06; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.13) and SBP (β = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.29, 1.15) per 5 dB(A); and NO 2 was associated with hyper tension (OR = 1.16; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.36), SBP (β = 1.23; 95% CI: 0.21, 2.25), and DBP (β = 0.56; 95% CI:-0.03, 1.14) per 10 μg/m 3. In the outdoor noise model, L night was associated only with hypertension and NO 2 with BP only. The indoor noise-SBP association was stronger and statistically significant with a threshold at 30 dB(A). conclusion: Long-term exposure to indoor traffic noise was associated with prevalent hypertension and SBP, independently of NO 2. Associations were less consistent for outdoor traffic L night and likely affected by collinearity.

One pathway through which noise contributes to cardiovascular diseases could relate to noise anno... more One pathway through which noise contributes to cardiovascular diseases could relate to noise annoyance, impaired sleep, and reduced physical activity. We investigated the association of longterm annoyance to residential transportation noise with physical activity and its change over time. We assessed 3,622 participants (age 38-80) that attended all visits of the population-based Swiss SAPALDIA cohort. Physical activity was defined as being at least sufficiently active (i.e. > 150 min/week, Yes/No) and as the change from visit 2 to 3: remaining active/inactive or becoming active/inactive. Participants reported noise annoyance to 24-hour transportation noise (all visits) and to specific sources at night, i.e. road traffic, railway, and aircraft (visit 3) on an ICBEN-type 11-point scale. Long-term transportation noise annoyance was calculated as the average across visits. We used multivariate and multinomial logistic regression for cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, respecti...

International journal of environmental research and public health, Dec 1, 2017

Traffic noise has been linked to diabetes, with limited understanding of its mechanisms. We hypot... more Traffic noise has been linked to diabetes, with limited understanding of its mechanisms. We hypothesize that night-time road traffic noise (RTN) may impair glucose homeostasis through circadian rhythm disturbances. We prospectively investigated the relationship between residential night-time RTN and subsequent eight-year change in glycosylated hemoglobin (ΔHbA1c) in 3350 participants of the Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults (SAPALDIA), adjusting for diabetes risk factors and air pollution levels. Annual average RTN (Lnight) was assigned to participants in 2001 using validated Swiss noise models. HbA1c was measured in 2002 and 2011 using liquid chromatography. We applied mixed linear models to explore RTN-ΔHbA1c association and its modification by a genetic risk score of six common circadian-related MTNR1B variants (MGRS). A 10 dB difference in RTN was associated with a 0.02% (0.003-0.04%) increase in mean ΔHbA1c in 2142 non-movers. RTN-ΔHbA1c ...

Environmental Health Perspectives, 2017

BACKGROUND: The impact of different transportation noise sources and noise environments on arteri... more BACKGROUND: The impact of different transportation noise sources and noise environments on arterial stiffness remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the association between residential outdoor exposure to annual average road, railway, and aircraft noise levels, total noise intermittency (IR), and total number of noise events (NE) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) following a cross-sectional design. METHODS: We measured baPWV (meters/second) in 2,775 participants (49-81 y old) at the second follow-up (2010-2011) of the Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults (SAPALDIA). We assigned annual average road, railway, and aircraft noise levels (Lden source), total day-and nighttime NE time and IR time (percent fluctuation = 0%, none or constant noise; percent fluctuation = 100%, high fluctuation) at the most exposed façade using 2011 Swiss noise models. We applied multivariable linear mixed regression models to analyze associations. RESULTS: Medians [interquartile ranges (IQRs)] were baPWV = 13:4 (3.1) m/s; Lden air ð57:6% exposedÞ = 32:8 (8.0) dB; Lden rail ð44:6% exposedÞ = 30:0 (8.1) dB; Lden road (99.7% exposed): 54.2 (10.6) dB; NE night = 123 (179); NE day = 433 (870); IR night = 73% (27); and IR day = 63:8% (40.3). We observed a 0.87% (95% CI: 0.31, 1.43%) increase in baPWV per IQR of Lden rail , which was greater with IR night > 80% or with daytime sleepiness. We observed a nonsignificant positive association between Lden road and baPWV in urban areas and a negative tendency in rural areas. NE night , but not NE day , was associated with baPWV. Associations were independent of the other noise sources and air pollution. Conclusions: Long-term exposure to railway noise, particularly in an intermittent nighttime noise environment, and to nighttime noise events, mainly related to road noise, may affect arterial stiffness, a major determinant of cardiovascular disease. Ascertaining noise exposure characteristics beyond average noise levels may be relevant to better understand noise-related health effects.

Sleep, 2017

Introduction: Sleep is considered one of the most important components of recovery for athletes, ... more Introduction: Sleep is considered one of the most important components of recovery for athletes, and sleep optimisation may assist athletes in achieving peak performance. Currently, it is thought that sleep quality and quantity are negatively affected by electronic device use (e.g. laptops, smartphones, televisions), but the mechanism underlying this relationship is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the influence of different types of tasks (i.e. puzzles vs. reading) performed with or without an electronic device (tablet) on pre-sleep alertness and sleep quality. Methods: Eight highly-trained netball players attended a sleep laboratory for pre-sleep testing and polysomnographic sleep monitoring on five separate occasions (1 familiarisation and 4 experimental sessions), each conducted at least one week apart. During the 2 h prior to bedtime in each experimental session, athletes completed cognitively stimulating tasks (puzzles) or passive tasks (reading) administered with or without an electronic device (tablet). The order of task administration was randomised. Sleep measures were obtained from polysomnography and questionnaires; melatonin concentration was measured via saliva samples. Sleep measures were compared using repeated measures ANOVA. Effect sizes were calculated using Cohen's d statistic. Results: The increase in melatonin concentration was significantly greater after reading compared to completing puzzles on a tablet (p=0.02), but was not different between any other conditions. A moderate-large effect size indicated that perceived sleepiness tended to be greater after reading compared to completing puzzles without a tablet (d=0.80), but not with a tablet. There were no significant differences in sleep duration, sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset, sleep efficiency or percentage of time spent in each stage of sleep between any of the conditions. Conclusion: These data suggest that using a tablet for 2 h prior to sleep does not negatively affect subsequent sleep in athletes. Further research is required to better understand the relationship between evening electronic device use and sleep. Support (If Any

Environment international, Oct 1, 2017

Until now, estimates of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) have mainly been produced on national ... more Until now, estimates of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) have mainly been produced on national or regional levels. These general estimates, however, are less useful for city governments who have to take decisions on local scales. To address this gap, we focused on the city-level burden of disease (BD) due to exposures affected by urban and transport planning. We conducted a BD assessment using the Urban and Transport Planning Health Impact Assessment (UTOPHIA) tool to estimate annual preventable morbidity and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) under compliance with international exposure recommendations for physical activity (PA), exposure to air pollution, noise, heat, and access to green spaces in Barcelona, Spain. Exposure estimates and morbidity data were available for 1,357,361 Barcelona residents ≥20years (2012). We compared recommended with current exposure levels to estimate the associated BD. We quantified associations between exposures and morbidities and calculated ...

European journal of epidemiology, Apr 1, 2017

Most studies published to date consider single noise sources and the reported noise metrics are n... more Most studies published to date consider single noise sources and the reported noise metrics are not informative about the peaking characteristics of the source under investigation. Our study focuses on the association between cardiovascular mortality in Switzerland and the three major transportation noise sources-road, railway and aircraft traffic-along with a novel noise metric termed intermittency ratio (IR), expressing the percentage contribution of individual noise events to the total noise energy from all sources above background levels. We generated Swiss-wide exposure models for road, railway and aircraft noise for 2001. Noise from the most exposed façade was linked to geocodes at the residential floor height for each of the 4.41 million adult (>30 y) Swiss National Cohort participants. For the follow-up period 2000-2008, we investigated the association between all noise exposure variables [Lden(Road), Lden(Rail), Lden(Air), and IR at night] and various cardiovascular prim...

International journal of epidemiology, Aug 13, 2017

Epidemiological studies have inconsistently linked transportation noise and air pollution (AP) wi... more Epidemiological studies have inconsistently linked transportation noise and air pollution (AP) with diabetes risk. Most studies have considered single noise sources and/or AP, but none has investigated their mutually independent contributions to diabetes risk. We investigated 2631 participants of the Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults (SAPALDIA), without diabetes in 2002 and without change of residence between 2002 and 2011. Using questionnaire and biomarker data, incident diabetes cases were identified in 2011. Noise and AP exposures in 2001 were assigned to participants' residences (annual average road, railway or aircraft noise level during day-evening-night (Lden), total night number of noise events, intermittency ratio (temporal variation as proportion of event-based noise level over total noise level) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) levels. We applied mixed Poisson regression to estimate the relative risk (RR) of diabetes and their 95% c...

Thorax, Sep 1, 2017

Study of the causes of the reduced levels of physical activity in patients with COPD has been sca... more Study of the causes of the reduced levels of physical activity in patients with COPD has been scarce and limited to biological factors. To assess the relationship between novel socio-environmental factors, namely dog walking, grandparenting, neighbourhood deprivation, residential surrounding greenness and residential proximity to green or blue spaces, and amount and intensity of physical activity in COPD patients. This cross-sectional study recruited 410 COPD patients from five Catalan municipalities. Dog walking and grandparenting were assessed by questionnaire. Neighbourhood deprivation was assessed using the census Urban Vulnerability Index, residential surrounding greenness by the satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, and residential proximity to green or blue spaces as living within 300 m of such a space. Physical activity was measured during 1 week by accelerometer to assess time spent on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and vector magnitude un...

Environmental health perspectives, Jan 27, 2016

By 2050, almost 70% of people globally are projected to live in urban areas. As the environments ... more By 2050, almost 70% of people globally are projected to live in urban areas. As the environments we inhabit affect our health, urban and transport designs that promote healthy living are needed. We estimated the number of premature deaths preventable under compliance with international exposure recommendations for physical activity (PA), air pollution, noise, heat, and access to green spaces. We developed and applied the Urban and TranspOrt Planning Health Impact Assessment (UTOPHIA) tool to Barcelona. Exposure estimates and mortality data were available for 1357361 residents. We compared recommended with current exposure levels. We quantified the associations between exposures and mortality and calculated population attributable fractions to estimate the number of premature deaths preventable. We also modeled life-expectancy and economic impacts. We estimated that annually almost 20% of mortality could be prevented if international recommendations for performance of PA, exposure to...

Environment international, 2016

Noise annoyance (NA) might lead to behavioral patterns not captured by noise levels, which could ... more Noise annoyance (NA) might lead to behavioral patterns not captured by noise levels, which could reduce physical activity (PA) either directly or through impaired sleep and constitute a noise pathway towards cardiometabolic diseases. We investigated the association of long-term transportation NA and its main sources (aircraft, road, and railway) at home with PA levels. We assessed 3842 participants (aged 37-81) that attended the three examinations (SAP 1, 2, and 3 in years 1991, 2001 and 2011, respectively) of the population-based Swiss cohort on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults (SAPALDIA). Participants reported general 24-h transportation NA (in all examinations) and source-specific NA at night (only SAP 3) on an ICBEN-type 11-point scale. We assessed moderate, vigorous, and total PA from a short-questionnaire (SAP 3). The main outcome was moderate PA (active/inactive: cut-off≥150min/week). We used logistic regression including random effects by area and adjustin...

Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology, Jan 21, 2015

People are often exposed to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) during physical activity (PA), b... more People are often exposed to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) during physical activity (PA), but it is not clear if PA modifies the impact of TRAP on cardiac autonomic modulation. We conducted a panel study among 28 healthy adults in Barcelona, Spain to examine how PA may modify the impact of TRAP on cardiac autonomic regulation. Participants completed four 2-h exposure scenarios that included either rest or intermittent exercise in high- and low-traffic environments. Time- and frequency-domain measures of heart rate variability (HRV) were monitored during each exposure period along with continuous measures of TRAP. Linear mixed-effects models were used to estimate the impact of TRAP on HRV as well as potential effect modification by PA. Exposure to TRAP was associated with consistent decreases in HRV; however, exposure-response relationships were not always linear over the broad range of exposures. For example, each 10 μg/m(3) increase in black carbon was associated with a 23% (...

Environmental Health Perspectives, 2015

d'en Melis, and Virolai. We also acknowledge the ESCAPE project for the design and supervision mo... more d'en Melis, and Virolai. We also acknowledge the ESCAPE project for the design and supervision modeling of air pollution. Furthermore, X. Mayoral did the technical development of the n-back test; and C. Persavento, J. Gonzalez, L. Bouso, and P. Figueras contributed to the field work. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Research Council under the ERC Grant Agreement (ERC-AdG 2010 GA#268479). P.D. is funded by a Ramón y Cajal fellowship (RYC-2012-10995) awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. M.G. is funded by a Miguel Servet fellowship (MS13/00054) awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. The authors declare they have no actual or potential competing financial interests.

International journal of environmental research and public health, Jan 18, 2015

This study aimed to describe the degree of annoyance among pregnant women in a Spanish cohort and... more This study aimed to describe the degree of annoyance among pregnant women in a Spanish cohort and to examine associations with proximity to traffic, NO2 and benzene exposure. We included 2457 participants from the Spanish Childhood and Environment study. Individual exposures to outdoor NO2 and benzene were estimated, temporally adjusted for pregnancy. Interviews about sociodemographic variables, noise and air pollution were carried out. Levels of annoyance were assessed using a scale from 0 (none) to 10 (strong and unbearable); a level of 8 to 10 was considered high. The reported prevalence of high annoyance levels from air pollution was 11.2% and 15.0% from noise; the two variables were moderately correlated (0.606). Significant correlations between NO2 and annoyance from air pollution (0.154) and that from noise (0.181) were observed. Annoyance owing to noise and air pollution had a low prevalence in our Spanish population compared with other European populations. Both factors wer...

Atmospheric Environment, 2015

h i g h l i g h t s 20-min measurements of air pollution, noise and road traffic were taken at 14... more h i g h l i g h t s 20-min measurements of air pollution, noise and road traffic were taken at 141 sites. Traffic noise levels and traffic counts were far more constant over time than ultrafine particles number concentrations. Simultaneous measurements of traffic count and noise were moderately to well correlated. Simultaneous measurements of ultrafine particles and noise were poorly correlated. This should allow future studies to disentangle the short-term effects of ultrafine particles and noise.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2014

Introduction: High noise exposure during critical periods in gestation is a potential stressor th... more Introduction: High noise exposure during critical periods in gestation is a potential stressor that may result in increased risk of implantation failure, dysregulation of placentation or decrease of uterine blood flow. This paper systematically reviews published evidence on associations between reproductive outcomes and occupational and environmental noise exposure. Methods: The Web of Science, PubMed and Embase electronic databases were searched for papers published between 1970 to June 2014 and via colleagues. We included 14 epidemiological studies related to occupational noise exposure and nine epidemiological studies related to environmental noise exposure. There was some evidence for associations between occupational noise exposure and low birthweight, preterm birth and small for gestational age, either independently or together with other occupational risk factors. Five of six epidemiologic studies, including the two largest studies, found significant associations between lower birthweight and higher noise exposure. There were few studies on other outcomes and study design issues may have led to bias in assessments in some studies. Conclusions: There is evidence for associations between noise exposure and adverse reproductive outcomes from animal studies. Few studies in have been conducted in humans but there is some suggestive evidence of adverse associations with environmental noise from both occupational and epidemiological studies, especially for low birthweight.

Environmental Health Perspectives, 2015

We thank all study participants and the dedicated personnel of the four cohorts. We gratefully ac... more We thank all study participants and the dedicated personnel of the four cohorts. We gratefully acknowledge the collaboration with K.

Atmospheric Environment, 2014

h i g h l i g h t s Spatial variation of short-term (20-min) UFP concentration was assessed in Ba... more h i g h l i g h t s Spatial variation of short-term (20-min) UFP concentration was assessed in Basel. Hybrid models were built to predict UFP levels on sidewalks. The main predictor (explained 50%) was the suburban background UFP level. Best models included both GIS variables and field observations (R 2 ¼ 0.7). Concurrent UFP on the sidewalks and nearby residences correlated well (R 2 ¼ 0.8).

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 2014

Noise prediction models and noise maps are used to estimate the exposure to road traffic noise, b... more Noise prediction models and noise maps are used to estimate the exposure to road traffic noise, but their availability and the quality of the noise estimates is sometimes limited. This paper explores the application of land use regression (LUR) modelling to assess the long-term intraurban spatial variability of road traffic noise in three European cities. Short-term measurements of road traffic noise taken in Basel, Switzerland (n = 60), Girona, Spain (n = 40), and Grenoble, France (n = 41), were used to develop two LUR models: (a) a "GIS-only" model, which considered only predictor variables derived with Geographic Information Systems; and (b) a "Best" model, which in addition considered the variables collected while visiting the measurement sites. Both noise measurements and noise estimates from LUR models were compared with noise estimates from standard noise models developed for each city by the local authorities. Model performance (adjusted R 2) was 0.66-0.87 for "GIS-only" models, and 0.70-0.89 for "Best" models. Shortterm noise measurements showed a high correlation (r = 0.62-0.78) with noise estimates from the standard noise models. LUR noise estimates did not show any systematic differences in the spatial patterns when compared with those from standard noise models. LUR modelling with accurate GIS source data can be a promising tool for noise exposure assessment with applications in epidemiological studies.

Environmental Health Perspectives, 2014

Background: Traffic noise has been associated with prevalence of hypertension, but reports are in... more Background: Traffic noise has been associated with prevalence of hypertension, but reports are inconsistent for blood pressure (BP). To ascertain noise effects and to disentangle them from those suspected to be from traffic-related air pollution, it may be essential to estimate people's noise exposure indoors in bedrooms. oBjectives: We analyzed associations between long-term exposure to indoor traffic noise in bedrooms and prevalent hypertension and systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) BP, considering longterm exposure to outdoor nitrogen dioxide (NO 2). Methods: We evaluated 1,926 cohort participants at baseline (years 2003-2006; Girona, Spain). Outdoor annual average levels of nighttime traffic noise (L night) and NO 2 were estimated at postal addresses with a detailed traffic noise model and a land-use regression model, respectively. Individual indoor traffic L night levels were derived from outdoor L night with application of insulations provided by reported noise-reducing factors. We assessed associations for hypertension and BP with multi-exposure logistic and linear regression models, respectively. results: Median levels were 27.1 dB(A) (indoor L night), 56.7 dB(A) (outdoor L night), and 26.8 μg/m 3 (NO 2). Spearman correlations between outdoor and indoor L night with NO 2 were 0.75 and 0.23, respectively. Indoor L night was associated both with hypertension (OR = 1.06; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.13) and SBP (β = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.29, 1.15) per 5 dB(A); and NO 2 was associated with hyper tension (OR = 1.16; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.36), SBP (β = 1.23; 95% CI: 0.21, 2.25), and DBP (β = 0.56; 95% CI:-0.03, 1.14) per 10 μg/m 3. In the outdoor noise model, L night was associated only with hypertension and NO 2 with BP only. The indoor noise-SBP association was stronger and statistically significant with a threshold at 30 dB(A). conclusion: Long-term exposure to indoor traffic noise was associated with prevalent hypertension and SBP, independently of NO 2. Associations were less consistent for outdoor traffic L night and likely affected by collinearity.