Abstract

In our observational, cross-sectional study, we examined the association between exposure to high traffic noise levels in housing and the proportion of high annoyance and self-perceived health problems by selecting comparable groups of individuals with and without exposure in residential buildings of urban Santiago, Chile. Our main assumption was that in a given building, residents of the apartments shared a set of sociodemographic characteristics. We studied buildings with sides exposed and unexposed to high traffic noise levels. We assumed that the groups of individuals living in each side were comparable and only differed with respect to the exposure condition. In this case study, we present how we designed and conducted our study, why we made certain decisions, and how we overcame the obstacles we faced.