Impact of Different Occupational Noises on Static and Dynamic Postural Stability in Healthy Young Adults.

BACKGROUND

Sounds that cause disturbances and perturbations to the vestibular (inner ear organ responses) and visual (acute oculomotor responses) systems can impact postural stability. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of different types of sounds and noises on both static and dynamic PS.

METHODS

A total of 20 participants (12 females and 8 males; age: 21.35 ± 1.79 years; height: 170.7 ± 9.3 cm; mass: 66.725 ± 14.1 kg) were tested using the limits of stability (LOS) test on the BTrackS™ balance plate and a Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, when exposed to four different sounds and occupational noises [construction noise (CN), white noise (WN), sirens (SRs), and nature sounds (NAs)] in a randomized order with a no sounds (NSs) control performed initially (intensity range of 70-80 dB). The center of pressure (COP) total sway area (cm) from the LOS and the time to completion of the TUG (seconds) were analyzed using a one-way repeated measures of analysis of variance at an alpha level of 0.05.

RESULTS

The observations demonstrated significant differences between the sounds and noises for the TUG ( < 0.001) but not for the LOS test ( = 0.406). Pairwise comparisons for the significant main effect for the TUG revealed that NSs demonstrated significantly slower time to completion compared to CN, WN, and SRs but not NAs.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that the different sounds and noises did not impact static PS during the LOS test, which involved the voluntary excursion of the COP while maintaining the same base of support (BOS). However, during dynamic PS with a changing BOS while walking in the TUG, exposure to CN, SRs, and WN demonstrated a faster completion time than NSs or NAs. This finding may be attributed to the anxiety induced by the noise immersion and perception of sounds, compared to calm NAs and no sounds. The findings can aid in better understanding the impact of different occupational noises on PS and emphasize the need for better noise protection and reduction in loud work environments.