Awareness and Perception of the Health Impacts of Noise Pollution among Ikot Abasi Urban Dwellers

Abstract

 The study investigated the awareness and perception of health impacts of noise pollution among the Ikot Abasi Urban dwellers. The objectives were to examine how the people of Ikot Abasi Urban dwellers were aware of noise pollution, how they perceived the health impacts of noise pollution, the level of health impacts and the level of sources of noise pollution in the study area. four research questions and two null hypotheses were raised to guide the study. Relevant related literature was extensively reviewed. Ex-post facto survey design was employed for the study in which three hundred (300) respondents served as the sample from a population of 132,608. A validated instrument titled “Awareness and perception of health impacts of noise pollution among the Ikot Abasi Urban Dwellers” was used to gather the data. The data obtained were treated with descriptive statistics (percentages) and Chi-square statistics, at 0.05 level of significance. Ikot Abasi urban dwellers showed high level of awareness of noise pollution and high level of perception of the effects of noise pollution on health. The sources of noise pollution among the people were high from churches, to schools, motor parks, industrial construction companies, markets and highest from the motor vehicles and airplanes. Based on the findings it was recommended among others that the enactment of laws to regulate levels and places where noise pollution should not exist; educational programmes for the people; also erecting of heavy industries, markets, schools, motor parks and airports away from residential areas