A Comprehensive Multidimensional Assessment of Noise Impacts on University Dormitories: Field Measurements, Student Survey, and Modeling Analysis

Abstract

University dormitories are crucial for students' learning, living, and social interactions, and the quality of their acoustic environment significantly impacts students' physical and mental health and well-being, as well as their academic performance. However, with rapid urbanization, the noise pollution of university dormitories has been increasing. Yet, comprehensive quantitative information has been lacking on the noise levels in typical university dormitory settings as well as student perception on different noise sources. To address this need, we carried out a series of systematic field measurements of the noise levels at 30 dormitories in three representative major urban universities in a major provincial capital city in China, and designed and implemented a comprehensive questionnaire and surveyed 1005 students about their perceptions of their acoustic environment. We proposed and applied a health-oriented, multidimensional assessment framework to assess the acoustic environment of the dormitories and student responses to both external and internal noise sources. Using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) combined with the field measurements and student surveys, we identified six key dimensions for assessing the acoustic environment: annoyance, comfort, satisfaction, and preferences for natural, artificial, and traffic/construction sounds. The field data indicated that noise levels at most of the measurement points of the student dormitories exceeded the recommended or regulatory thresholds. Higher noise impacts were observed in early mornings and evenings, primarily due to traffic noise and indoor activities. Natural sounds were highly valued by students for their positive effect on the students’ comfort and satisfaction. Conversely, traffic noise, indoor noise from student activities, and construction noise were deemed highly disturbing. The six-factor categorization analysis revealed that natural sounds, such as insect and bird and flowing water, were the most significant factor influencing students' perceptions. Gender differences were evident in the assessment of the acoustic environment, with male students generally reporting higher levels of annoyance, comfort and preference for natural and general artificial sounds compared to female students. Educational backgrounds showed no significant influence on the sound perceptions. The findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to improve the acoustic environment of university dormitories by taking engineered control measures and promoting the ecological building concept for university dormitories.

Keywords: University dormitory, Noise pollution, Noise control, Acoustic environment, Multidimensional assessment, Student health