Moving beyond the noise: geospatial modelling of urban sound environments in a sub-Saharan African city.

ABSTRACT: Cities encompass a mixture of artificial, human, animal, and nature-based sounds, which through long and short-term exposures, can impact on physical and mental health. Yet, most epidemiological research has focused on only transportation noise, leaving a significant gap in understanding the health impacts of other urban sound types, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We conducted a large-scale measurement campaign in Accra, Ghana, collecting audio recordings and sound levels from 129 locations between April 2019-June 2020. We classified sound types with a neural network model and then used Random Forest land use regression to predict prevalences of different sound types citywide. We then developed a composite metric integrating sound levels with the prevalence of sound types. Road tr

SUBMITTER: Clark SN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12216697 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature