{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,6]],"date-time":"2026-03-06T09:49:17Z","timestamp":1772790557933,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,25]],"date-time":"2021-03-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1616630400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The lockdown measures in Spain due to the SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic from 13 March to 21 June 2020 had extensive social and environmental implications. This study aims to understand how the measures of lockdown have influenced noise levels, as well as people\u2019s perception of sound quality before and after lockdown, including de-escalation. For this purpose, an online survey was carried out. Moreover, the noise linked to the Global Positioning System (GPS) position of each individual respondent was recorded aiming to correlate the noise level with the result of the survey. An average reduction of over 30 dB was observed compared with the sound pressure level before lockdown. Furthermore, it was found that the loudness parameter, together with the overall level, increased as the country started relaxing restrictions. Additionally, results showed that the perception of noise quality changed depending on the phase of de-escalation (p &lt; 0.01), the type of property (p &lt; 0.05), and the outside noise (p &lt; 0.01). Moreover, noise annoyance was determined considering age (p &lt; 0.01), gender (p &lt; 0.05), type of property (p &lt; 0.001), and home refurbishment (p &lt; 0.05). It may be concluded that the most important measure to decrease noise levels is the reduction of traffic noise, through using eco-friendly public transportation or bicycles and limiting nightlife hours.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18073392","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,25]],"date-time":"2021-03-25T14:51:12Z","timestamp":1616683872000},"page":"3392","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Monitoring Sound and Its Perception during the Lockdown and De-Escalation of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Spanish Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Mar\u00eda Dolores","family":"Redel-Mac\u00edas","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rural Engineering, EPS, Edificio Leonardo da Vinci, Campus de Rabanales, Universidad de C\u00f3rdoba, 14071 C\u00f3rdoba, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2940-8697","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pilar","family":"Aparicio-Martinez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nursing, Pharmacology and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, Universidad de C\u00f3rdoba, 14014 C\u00f3rdoba, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1780-2339","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sara","family":"Pinzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Chemistry and Applied Thermodynamics, EPS, Edificio Leonardo da Vinci, Campus de Rabanales, Universidad de C\u00f3rdoba, 14071 C\u00f3rdoba, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9421-9123","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pedro","family":"Arezes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ALGORITMI Centre, School of Engineering of the University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0349-3440","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Antonio Jos\u00e9","family":"Cubero-Atienza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rural Engineering, EPS, Edificio Leonardo da Vinci, Campus de Rabanales, Universidad de C\u00f3rdoba, 14071 C\u00f3rdoba, Spain"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization, and JCR European Commission (2011). Burden of Disease from Environmental Noise\u2014Quantification of Healthy Life Years Lost in Europe, World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"829","DOI":"10.1093\/eurheartj\/ehu030","article-title":"Cardiovascular Effects of Environmental Noise Exposure","volume":"35","author":"Gori","year":"2014","journal-title":"Eur. Heart J."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"359","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envres.2015.12.036","article-title":"Road Traffic Noise Effects on Cardiovascular, Respiratory, and Metabolic Health: An Integrative Model of Biological Mechanisms","volume":"146","author":"Recio","year":"2016","journal-title":"Environ. Res."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4623109","DOI":"10.1155\/2019\/4623109","article-title":"Environmental Noise-Induced Effects on Stress Hormones, Oxidative Stress, and Vascular Dysfunction: Key Factors in the Relationship between Cerebrocardiovascular and Psychological Disorders","volume":"2019","author":"Hahad","year":"2019","journal-title":"Oxid. Med. Cell. Longev."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kim, A., Sung, J.H., Bang, J.-H., Cho, S.W., Lee, J., and Sim, C.S. (2017). Effects of Self-Reported Sensitivity and Road-Traffic Noise Levels on the Immune System. PLoS ONE, 12.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0187084"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"109633","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envres.2020.109633","article-title":"Long-Term Residential Road Traffic Noise and Mortality in a Danish Cohort","volume":"187","author":"Thacher","year":"2020","journal-title":"Environ. Res."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101515","DOI":"10.1016\/j.redox.2020.101515","article-title":"Exacerbation of Adverse Cardiovascular Effects of Aircraft Noise in an Animal Model of Arterial Hypertension","volume":"34","author":"Steven","year":"2020","journal-title":"Redox Biol."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"35051","DOI":"10.1007\/s11356-020-09785-y","article-title":"Exposure Assessment to Road Traffic Noise Levels and Health Effects in an Arid Urban Area","volume":"27","author":"Amoatey","year":"2020","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res."},{"key":"ref_9","unstructured":"European Environment Agency (2020). Environmental Noise in Europe, 2020, Publications Office of the European Union."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"13","DOI":"10.1186\/s13058-018-1047-2","article-title":"Long-term exposure to road traffic noise and incidence of breast cancer: A cohort study","volume":"20","author":"Andersen","year":"2018","journal-title":"Breast Cancer Res."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2691","DOI":"10.1002\/ijc.28592","article-title":"Exposure to Road Traffic and Railway Noise and Postmenopausal Breast Cancer: A Cohort Study","volume":"134","author":"Ketzel","year":"2014","journal-title":"Int. J. Cancer"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hegewald, J., Schubert, M., Wagner, M., Dr\u00f6ge, P., Prote, U., Swart, E., M\u00f6hler, U., Zeeb, H., and Seidler, A. (2017). Breast Cancer and Exposure to Aircraft, Road, and Railway-Noise: A Case\u2013Control Study Based on Health Insurance Records. Scand. J. Work Environ. Health, 509\u2013518.","DOI":"10.5271\/sjweh.3665"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"578","DOI":"10.1289\/ehp.1409400","article-title":"Residential Road Traffic Noise and High Depressive Symptoms after Five Years of Follow-up: Results from the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study","volume":"124","author":"Orban","year":"2016","journal-title":"Environ. Health Perspect."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Beutel, M.E., J\u00fcnger, C., Klein, E.M., Wild, P., Lackner, K., Blettner, M., Binder, H., Michal, M., Wiltink, J., and Br\u00e4hler, E. (2016). Noise Annoyance Is Associated with Depression and Anxiety in the General Population\u2014The Contribution of Aircraft Noise. PLoS ONE, 11.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0155357"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"341","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envint.2016.03.011","article-title":"Long-Term Transportation Noise Annoyance Is Associated with Subsequent Lower Levels of Physical Activity","volume":"91","author":"Foraster","year":"2016","journal-title":"Environ. Int."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"983","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envpol.2017.10.093","article-title":"Associations between Residential Traffic Noise Exposure and Smoking Habits and Alcohol Consumption\u2014A Population-Based Study","volume":"236","author":"Roswall","year":"2018","journal-title":"Environ. Pollut."},{"key":"ref_17","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2014). Burden of Disease from Ambient Air Pollution for 2012, World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"439","DOI":"10.1289\/ehp.1206154","article-title":"Environmental Burden of Disease in Europe: Assessing Nine Risk Factors in Six Countries","volume":"122","author":"Knol","year":"2014","journal-title":"Environ. Health Perspect."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"R13","DOI":"10.1530\/REP-20-0154","article-title":"Reproduction in a Polluted World: Implications for Wildlife","volume":"160","author":"Aulsebrook","year":"2020","journal-title":"Reproduction"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bar, H. (2020). COVID-19 Lockdown: Animal Life, Ecosystem and Atmospheric Environment. Environ. Dev. Sustain.","DOI":"10.1007\/s10668-020-01002-7"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"213","DOI":"10.1071\/HE05213","article-title":"Air Pollution in Australia: Review of Costs, Sources and Potential Solutions","volume":"16","author":"Robinson","year":"2005","journal-title":"Health Promot. J. Austr."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"16574","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-020-72271-5","article-title":"Spatial and Temporal Variations of Air Pollution over 41 Cities of India during the COVID-19 Lockdown Period","volume":"10","author":"Vadrevu","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"16213","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-020-73197-8","article-title":"Impact of Meteorological Conditions and Air Pollution on COVID-19 Pandemic Transmission in Italy","volume":"10","author":"Lolli","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_24","unstructured":"Pandey, M., and Chalk, W. (BBC News, 2020). Lockdown: \u2018Noisy Neighbours Are Ruining My Life\u2019, BBC News, p. 3."},{"key":"ref_25","unstructured":"Gupta, S. (CNN News, 2020). Air Pollution in Northern India Has Hit a 20-Year Low, NASA Report Says, CNN News, p. 5."},{"key":"ref_26","unstructured":"ESA (2020). Air Pollution in a Post-COVID-19 World, European Space Agency."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"123","DOI":"10.1515\/noise-2020-0011","article-title":"Assessing the Changing Urban Sound Environment during the COVID-19 Lockdown Period Using Short-Term Acoustic Measurements","volume":"7","author":"Aletta","year":"2020","journal-title":"Noise Mapp."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"140573","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2020.140573","article-title":"Coronavirus Lockdown Helped the Environment to Bounce Back","volume":"742","author":"Arora","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sci. Total Environ."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102469","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scs.2020.102469","article-title":"An Observation of the Impact of CoViD-19 Recommendation Measures Monitored through Urban Noise Levels in Central Stockholm, Sweden","volume":"63","author":"Rumpler","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sustain. Cities Soc."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1748","DOI":"10.1121\/10.0002008","article-title":"Changes in Noise Levels in the City of Madrid during COVID-19 Lockdown in 2020","volume":"148","author":"Asensio","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Acoust. Soc. Am."},{"key":"ref_31","unstructured":"(2020, November 01). Royal borough of Greenwich Noise during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic, Available online: https:\/\/www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk\/info\/200205\/pollution_and_noise\/656\/noise_complaints."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9404","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-020-66368-0","article-title":"The 2020 Coronavirus Lockdown and Seismic Monitoring of Anthropic Activities in Northern Italy","volume":"10","author":"Poli","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1156","DOI":"10.1038\/s41559-020-1237-z","article-title":"COVID-19 Lockdown Allows Researchers to Quantify the Effects of Human Activity on Wildlife","volume":"4","author":"Rutz","year":"2020","journal-title":"Nat. Ecol. Evol."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Alston, W.P. (1996). Empirical arguments for the reliability of sp.. The Reliability of Sense Perception, Cornell University Press. Chapter 4.","DOI":"10.7591\/9781501720543"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bodur, S., and Filiz, E. (2010). Validity and Reliability of Turkish Version of \u201cHospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture\u201d and Perception of Patient Safety in Public Hospitals in Turkey. BMC Health Serv. Res., 10.","DOI":"10.1186\/1472-6963-10-28"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101","DOI":"10.1016\/j.compedu.2019.05.003","article-title":"The Effectiveness of Traditional Tools and Computer-Aided Technologies for Health and Safety Training in the Construction Sector: A Systematic Review","volume":"138","author":"Gao","year":"2019","journal-title":"Comput. Educ."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"89","DOI":"10.1016\/j.apnr.2017.11.010","article-title":"Illness Perception, Risk Perception and Health Promotion Self-Care Behaviors among Chinese Patient with Type 2 Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Survey","volume":"39","author":"Nie","year":"2018","journal-title":"Appl. Nurs. Res."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Han, X., Wang, J., Zhang, M., and Wang, X. (2020). Using Social Media to Mine and Analyze Public Opinion Related to COVID-19 in China. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 17.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17082788"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"138860","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2020.138860","article-title":"Effect of Weather on COVID-19 Spread in the US: A Prediction Model for India in 2020","volume":"728","author":"Gupta","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sci. Total Environ."},{"key":"ref_40","unstructured":"Redel-Mac\u00edas, M. (2020, December 12). Ruido y Covid-19, Available online: https:\/\/www.ahoracordoba.es."},{"key":"ref_41","unstructured":"Zwicker, E., and Fastl, H. (2007). Psychoacoustics: Facts and Models, Springer."},{"key":"ref_42","unstructured":"(2002). Directive 2002\/49\/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 June 2002 Relating to the Assessment and Management of Environmental Noise, European Parliament."},{"key":"ref_43","unstructured":"Medina, M.A. (El Pa\u00eds, 2020). Why You Shouldn\u2019t Be Afraid to Take Public Transportation amid the Covid-19 Pandemic, El Pa\u00eds, p. 7."},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Garc\u00eda-Esquinas, E., Ortol\u00e1, R., Gine-V\u00e1zquez, I., Carnicero, J.A., Ma\u00f1as, A., Lara, E., Alvarez-Bustos, A., Vicente-Rodriguez, G., Sotos-Prieto, M., and Olaya, B. (2021). Changes in Health Behaviors, Mental and Physical Health among Older Adults under Severe Lockdown Restrictions during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain. medRxiv.","DOI":"10.1101\/2021.02.15.21251738"},{"key":"ref_45","first-page":"202","article-title":"Variations in Workplace Safety Climate Perceptions and Outcomes Across Healthcare Provider Positions","volume":"65","author":"McGhan","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Healthc. Manag."},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2308","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2702.2012.04154.x","article-title":"In-Hospital Mortality after Serious Adverse Events on Medical and Surgical Nursing Units: A Mixed Methods Study","volume":"22","author":"Clarke","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Clin. Nurs."}],"container-title":["International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/18\/7\/3392\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T05:40:49Z","timestamp":1760161249000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/18\/7\/3392"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,25]]},"references-count":46,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,4]]}},"alternative-id":["ijerph18073392"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijerph18073392","relation":{},"ISSN":["1660-4601"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1660-4601","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,25]]}}}