Risk Assessment and Coping Mechanism to Noise in Selected Public Secondary Schools in Ibadan, Nigeria

The deleterious effect of noise on health and learning has been established. Studies reveal that noise interferes in complex task performance, modifies social behaviour and causes annoyance. This study tries to study the effect and coping mechanism to noise of children in selected public secondary schools in Ibadan. The study was descriptive cross-sectional design. Four schools were selected for the study, with three from noisy high activity areas and one from a low noise zone which was used as the control. Three hundred questionnaires were administered, 150 in the control and 50 per noise exposed school., to assess the effect and the children’s coping mechanism to noise in the school environment. Noise levels (A-weighted decibels, dBA) were measured with a calibrated sound level meter. The observed noise levels were compared with WHO limits. A Global Positioning System was used to determine the positions of the noise readings used to develop a noise assessment risk map for all the schools under the study. Observational checklist was used to assess noise control parameters and building physical attributes of the schools. The respondents affected by noise reported reading of lips as their coping mechanism to disturbing and loud noise. The Short-term, cross-sectional school day noise levels in the exposed (65.4 dBA-82.1 dBA) and control (58.5 dBA-71.3 dBA) groups exceeded the WHO recommended limits for school environments (35 dBA). Secondary school occupants in Ibadan, Nigeria are at potential risk of the adverse effect of environmental noise. Adaptation to long-term noise exposure in Nigerian schools is of public health importance as it affects cognitive and learning performances of students adversely.