The Impact of Non-Acoustic Factors on Chinese Community Response to Noise: A Systematic Review

TL;DR

This paper reviews how non-acoustic factors affect how Chinese communities respond to noise, highlighting cultural and social influences.

Contribution

It systematically analyzes Chinese-specific non-acoustic factors influencing noise annoyance, revealing gaps in current research.

Findings

Non-acoustic factors like noise sensitivity and education level significantly influence Chinese residents' noise responses.

Interactions between non-acoustic factors and sound source types are observed but require further study.

Research on non-acoustic factors in China is limited and unevenly distributed compared to international studies.

Abstract

Noise pollution has become one of the most prominent environmental issues in China. Although many studies have summarized the impact of non-acoustic factors on noise annoyance, the unique mechanisms of these factors within the context of Chinese society and culture still require systematic investigation. In this study, a systematic review of articles obtained from the CNKI, WanFang, WoS Core Collection, and Scopus databases (up to December 2024) was conducted, and 42 articles were included in a qualitative analysis to summarize the patterns of non-acoustic factors’ influence on the community response of Chinese residents to noise. The results revealed the following: (1) The effects of non-acoustic factors on Chinese residents are significant, with the trends for factors such as noise sensitivity, attitude to noise source, health status, perceived quality of the living environment, and education level influencing the Chinese community response to noise having been basically clarified. However, the influence of the remaining factors and the unique influences of various non-acoustic factors await further quantitative analyses. (2) Interactions among various factors deserve close attention. The interactions between non-acoustic factors, as well as those between non-acoustic factors and sound source types, have been reflected in some studies. These may be significant for explaining the effects of non-acoustic factors and merit further research. (3) Compared to international studies, research on non-acoustic factors in China is relatively limited in quantity and unevenly distributed, which is insufficient to support further quantitative analysis or a detailed exploration of the underlying mechanisms. Therefore, more studies are necessary to support the future rationalization of noise policies and national standards in China.

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