Environmental and Occupational Noise Exposure in Relation to Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes

Large parts of the population are exposed to traffic noise, particularly in urban areas, and high noise levels occur in many workplaces. The aims of this project are to estimate exposure-response relationships for incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) related to long-term exposure to road traffic, railway and aircraft noise, as well as occupational noise. Furthermore, mediation by sleep disturbances and overweight/obesity is investigated, as well as interactions with air pollution and clinical biomarkers, to elucidate important etiological pathways. The project is based on pooled analyses of nine Scandinavian cohorts, totally including more than 300 000 individuals. Detailed longitudinal exposure to traffic noise from different sources, air pollutants and greenness, as well as occupational exposures, are estimated with state-of-the-art methods and supplemented with questionnaire and registry data on risk factors as well as clinical measurements. Incidence of T2D is assessed by combining information from medical examinations, high quality registers, questionnaires and biomarker measurements. Population attributable risks are estimated by combining population data on exposure with information on exposure-response relationships. In several aspects the project is unique and addresses questions which have never been studied before. Our results will provide important guidance for prioritization of preventive measures to promote health sustainable urban development and safe workplaces.