Effect of noise exposure on children's performance in grade 3 of primary school

This study deals with the harmful effects of chronic noise exposure on the school performance of grade 3 pupils. It aims to assess the existence of a relationship between the school performance of a sample of 579 grade 3, pupils from 31 public schools of a 120,000 inhabitants, and extended exposure to noise associated with an urban environment. This research is specifically characterized by four key guidelines: consideration of even moderate noise exposure levels, clear differentiation between noise exposure at home and at school, completeness of observations on the scale of a mid-sized town, and a detailed analysis of school performance in French and mathematics. In order to evaluate the noise pollution, we will draw up a strategic map allowing us to calculate different noise levels at school and at the pupils' homes, then build upon the results of diagnostic evaluations in French and mathematics, and finally use a questionnaire allowing us to control the main cofactors which influence the pupils' results. A contextual statistical method, using a multi-level regression analysis will be employed. We confirm a significant link between the estimated noise exposure levels in front of schools and overall school performances in French and mathematics. Regarding the French, we notice a significant link between estimated noise exposure levels in front of schools and word recognition tests, textual understanding and above all, writing and spelling skills. However, we do not have any significant correlation with text production tests. Regarding mathematics, we also confirm a connection between the same noise exposure levels and tests dealing with number knowledge specifically, numerical evaluation and arithmetic, but not with tests entitled ``size and measurement'' or ``space and geometry''. None of the links between noise levels at home and different sub-scores in French and mathematics are meaningful. (C) 2014 Societe francaise de psychologie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.