Conference of the Acoustical Society of New Zealand

The Aging in Place Challenge Program

at the National Research Council Canada
Jeffrey Mahn
National Research Council Canada, 1200 Montreal Rd, Ottawa ON K1A 0R6 Canada
[email protected]

ABSTRACT
A number of challenge programs to fund research have been initiated at the National Research Council of Canada in the past several years
and the outcomes of the research is likely to influence the design of future dwellings and the retrofit of the existing housing stock in Canada.
One of these challenge programs addresses the need to support an aging population. It is estimated that by 2051, adults over the age of 65
will represent 25% of the population of Canada. Most aging adults would prefer to age in place in the dwelling or community of their
choice. The Aging in Place Challenge program was launched in 2021 with the goal of developing technologies and innovations to support
an increase in the number of aging adults who remain in homes and communities of their choice by 2031. The program supports research
projects in collaboration with older adults and family caregivers as well as partners in academia, industry, and government toward enabling
advancements in AgeTech in Canada. In addition, a number of Aging in Place projects in the Construction Research Center are focused
on developing guidance for the design of dwellings intended for successful aging in place. Acoustics, lighting, climate control and other
environmental factors all play an important role support the wellbeing of aging adults. The results of the projects from the Construction
Research Center will be publicly available guidance for new buildings and the renovation of existing buildings to support aging in place.

INTRODUCTION communities in both urban and rural environments.

Loneliness also represents a major challenge for many
In 2016, Canada became home to a greater number of older individuals, especially within the oldest old age
aging adults (people over the age of 65) than people under group [7]. Housing, living arrangements and
the age of 15 [1]. Aging adults also represent Canada’s transportation approaches that are adapted for older adults
fastest growing demographic [2]. Based on the population as they age are areas in urgent need of research [8].
projections by Statistics Canada, aging adults may
represent a quarter of Canada’s population between 2050 In 2014, the Government of Canada published an action
(assuming low growth) to 2060 (assuming medium plan which described this demographic shift as presenting
growth) as shown in Figure 1. both new opportunities and challenges for Canadian
society [9]. One of the points that the action plan
discussed was the need for age friendly communities and
the support for housing for an aging population.
Affordability is also a concern with a nationwide housing
shortage creating major affordability problems [10]. The
importance of a national policy on housing was
highlighted by the COVID-19 Pandemic during which
aging adults in Canada fared notably worse than their
counterparts in many other comparable countries. By the
summer of 2020, over 80% of all COVID-19 deaths in
Canada occurred amongst aging adults nursing and
retirement home settings, compared to an Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
average of 42% [2]. There were 74 times more deaths
among older Canadians living in long term care settings
Figure 1: Historic and projected population data for than among aging adults living in communities, a figure
Canada from Statistics Canada [1,3]. More information
which was three times the OECD average [11].
about the projections is available from Statistics Canada
Report 91-520-X: Population Projections for
According to a national survey, 81% of older Canadians
Canada (2023 to 2073) [4].
would prefer to age in their place of residence [12]. Aging
The number of households comprised of aging adults in in place can be described as the ability to live in one’s own
Canada is set to increase significantly in the upcoming home and community safely, independently, and
years with a disproportionate number of these in rural comfortably, regardless of age, income, or capacity [13].
areas [5]. The aging adults tend to remain in their homes Nationally, 11% of newly admitted long-term care
with the proportion of aging adults who sell their property residents could have potentially been cared for at home
is elevated only in relatively advanced age groups [6]. with the proper supports in place. Of the 11%, there is
However, the environment in which older Canadians live wide provincial and territorial variation with the number
is not always supportive of health and wellness. There is as low as 8.3% in Ontario and as high as 27.3% in the
a clear need for more age-friendly housing, and Yukon Territory [14]. A National Home Modifications

2nd – 4th September 2024, Christchurch

 Conference of the Acoustical Society of New Zealand

Survey found that while many want to age in place in the A list of current projects that have been funded by the AiP
home or community, only 26% believe that they will be Challenge program can be found through the NRC’s
able to do so [15]. An aging adult’s home and community website [18]. Some examples of the research projects
might be a comforting, familiar place despite the fact that include: privacy by design and cybersecurity for safe,
it is becoming burdensome to maintain or unsafe and a effective and reliable home health care for aging in place
source of anxiety [16]. The survey suggested that home [19], cultural dimensions affecting the perception of
modifications or other measures to support aging in place privacy and intrusiveness of video monitoring
are a key solution for closing the gap [15]. technologies for aging at home [20], meeting older
Canadians’ mobility needs via public transportation [21]
THE AGING IN PLACE CHALLENGE PROGRAM and the supportive smart home [22].
AT THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
CANADA

The Aging in Place (AiP) Challenge program [17] at the

National Research Council Canada (NRC) was launched
in 2021 with the goal of developing technologies and
innovations to support an increase in the number of aging
adults who remain in homes and communities of their
choice by 2031. The program funds collaborative
research with older adults and family caregivers as well as
partners in academia, industry, and government toward
enabling advancements in AgeTech in Canada. Through
research that draws on the NRC's people, equipment and Figure 3: The healthy aging community living labs initiative
facilities, NRC researchers and external partners can work
on collaborative research projects to meet Canada's To ensure all projects contribute towards the program’s
current and future needs. impact-oriented goal, AiP focuses on collaboration and
co-creation. The AiP Challenge program invites older
Recognizing that aging in place is a multi-faceted concept, adults and their caregivers to partner with the researchers
the AiP Challenge program strategy proposes three as “expert by experience” (EBE) advisors who are
pathways for technology and innovation to support safe, engaged throughout the project [23]. These EBE project
healthy, socially connected aging as shown in Figure 2. advisors provide generational knowledge to ensure
projects are on track towards creating “real world”
solutions. Additionally, AiP’s healthy aging community
living labs initiative funds projects to bring together
interested parties as shown in Figure 3 to co-develop and
to evaluate AgeTech innovations and solutions for aging
in place [24].

AGING IN PLACE PROJECTS AT THE

CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH CENTER

The Construction Research Center at the NRC has

Figure 2: Focus of AiP research at the NRC supported the AiP Challenge program by funding research
to develop guidance for dwellings for successful aging in
The first area of research focuses on preventing transitions place. While many municipalities or organizations in
in care through improved health and well-being as well as Canada may offer guidance for renovations for dwellings
reductions in anticipated risk factors known to cause intended for aging in place, the guidance typically focuses
transitions in care. The research focuses on technologies on modifications such as the installation of grab bars and
that enable people to access preventative care and support ramps. While these support devices have an important
the early detection of age-related diseases. The second role in making a home safe, a more holistic approach is
area of research focuses on enabling older adults and their needed to focus on all of the aspects of the home that help
caregivers to continue living well with frailty, cognitive to support the wellbeing of aging adults. Furthermore, the
impairment, social isolation and other risk factors leading lack of a central repository of guidance for dwellings for
to transitions in care. The research focuses on aging in place such as a building code can lead to a lack
technologies to reduce the risk of sentinel events (e.g. of consistency throughout the country and modifications
hospitalizations, falls, caregiver burnout) and to facilitate to dwellings that don’t support aging in place as intended.
activities of daily living. The third area of research
focuses on creating age-friendly communities and social For example, the Government of Canada offers a
structures that address social, political and built multigeneration home renovation tax credit [25] which
environment barriers to aging in place. The research can be claimed by qualifying individuals for renovation
focuses on adapting the social and physical environment expenses to create a self-contained secondary unit to
and providing opportunities for meaningful contributions allow an aging adult or an adult who is eligible for the
to society. disability tax credit to live with a qualifying relative. A

2nd – 4th September 2024, Christchurch

Conference of the Acoustical Society of New Zealand

now expired tax credit in the province of Ontario [26] Establishing Guidance for Indoor Environmental
could be claimed for eligible renovations that improved Conditions for Healthy Aging in Place
the safety and accessibility or helped an aging adult be
more functional or mobile at home. The risk for these tax This research project is a collaboration between the NRC,
credits is that the lack of central guidance for the the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and
improvements may lead to renovations by well-meaning Technology (AIST) in Japan and the University of
applicants and contractors that don’t actually support Toronto. The project includes field measurements and
aging in place. The lack of guidance for renovations social surveys [27] to establish guidance for suitable
creates the possibility for predatory contractors who can interior conditions (daily light exposure patterns; in-home
take advantage of the tax credit programs by acoustic conditions; ventilation, humidity, temperature,
implementing improvements that are overpriced, not and indoor air and lighting quality) to support health and
correctly installed (e.g. grab bars not fixed to studs or well-being for adults as they age. The guidance will be
blocking in the wall) or are incorrectly specified (e.g. grab applied to both new builds and retrofits and will be
bars with an inadequate weight capacity) and therefore do integrated across building systems where appropriate. For
nothing to actually improve the livability of the dwelling example, the guidance for façade systems can take into
or may make it worse. account the transmission loss, the daylighting, the
available ventilation and the thermal performance. The
The results of the research at the Construction Research outcomes from the projects will be transferred to
Center will be collected into publicly available research regulatory bodies to facilitate its uptake and application.
reports and guidance. The reports will support future
changes in building codes for specifications for dwellings Noise Sensitivities amongst Aging Adults
intended for successful aging in place.
This research project is a collaboration between the NRC
Summaries of three of the projects in the Construction and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science
Research Center are presented in the following sections. and Technology (AIST) in Japan is to determine if aging
All of the projects span multiple years and will conclude adults tend to display stronger sensitivity to noise and if
in 2026. noise sensitivity can be successfully determined through a
limited number of questions on a questionnaire.
Developing guidance for integration and future
adoption of assistive and smart home Noise sensitivity increases the susceptibility of
technologies individuals to noise and those with high noise sensitivity
who are exposed to noise are more likely to pay attention
This project is designed to address some of the key to the noise, to interpret the noise negatively as a threat or
challenges to developing and adoption of innovative annoyance and to react emotionally, compared to those
technologies that can enable older adults to live safe, with low noise sensitivity [28]. Understanding the
healthy and socially connected lives whilst remaining in relationship between noise sensitivity and age is important
their homes. The project will investigate how to make due to the strong correlation between noise sensitivity and
technologies more readily acceptable to aging adults and health and wellbeing.
to ensure that the technologies are used correctly. In
addition, the project will develop the NRC’s state-of-the- A high noise sensitivity can increase the negative effects
art research facility, the FlexHouse of the Canadian Centre of noise exposure on health [29,30]. Individuals with high
for Housing Technology (CCHT) shown in Figure 4 as a noise sensitivity are likely to be less healthy than
testbed for the evaluation of new technologies. individuals with low noise sensitivity [31]. Noise
sensitivity has been shown to be related to hypertension
and chest pain [32] and noise sensitivity may be a risk
factor for cardiovascular mortality in women [33]. Noise
sensitivity has been associated with a number of
behavioral risk factors for disease such as stress, smoking
and hostility [34]. Noise sensitive individuals are more
likely to report symptoms of inadequacy, depression,
anxiety, sensitivity, anger, tension, inferiority and
nervousness [35]. Noise sensitivity is also one of the
factors that affects noise-induced sleep disturbance
[36,37].

Noise sensitivity can be a predictor of dissatisfaction with

the environmental quality of one’s environment.
Residential satisfaction among older adults has been
Figure 4: FlexHouse at the NRC found to be robustly associated with positive and negative
aspects of perceived neighborhood quality and plays a
The FlexHouse offers a unique real-life house major role for aging well [38]. Noise sensitive persons
environment that was constructed to demonstrate aging in tend be less satisfied with their living environment and
place principles, including affordability, adaptability and with their general quality of life [39,40] and tend to report
accessibility. poorer environmental quality in their residential area than

2nd – 4th September 2024, Christchurch

 Conference of the Acoustical Society of New Zealand

less sensitive persons [30]. Neighbor annoyance relates determining questions that are open to bias or which have
to experiences of negative social interactions that are no correlation to noise sensitivity is needed.
typically associated with an unpleasant perception of the
neighborhood [38]. It has been shown that individuals The project involves both in person and on-line subjective
who express critical or negative judgments about noise tests where participants are asked a number of questions
will also give negative environmental judgments. By including the WNSS21 questions. A link to the on-line
locating the position of an individual on the critical- subjective test is shown in Figure 5.
uncritical dimension, one can predict how this person will
tend to evaluate all neighborhood features-noise, air
pollution, community services, privacy, safety, neighbors
even though these features appear to be distinct and
relatively independent [40]. Issues of residential
satisfaction are particularly important for aging adults as
significant dissatisfaction can create chronic stress with
consequent mental and physical health results [41–43].

It would therefore be advantageous to be able to reliably

determine if a person is noise sensitive or if a certain age Figure 5: Link to the online listening test
group is likely to be more sensitive to noise since the
degree of noise sensitivity can give great insight into the The participants asked to imagine that they are sitting in
anticipated health and environmental judgments of those their living room as they listen to a series of sounds and
individuals as they age in place. Also, noise sensitivity is are asked to rate their annoyance for each sound. Since
believed to change depending on the individual’s age or noise sensitivity is assessed both through the WNSS21
circumstances [29,44] and so an easy means for and through the listening test, the effectiveness of each
determining noise sensitivity would be helpful to track the question of the WNSS21 at determining noise sensitivity
changes. can be compared against the measured annoyance levels.

One of the most commonly used questionnaires for The study will look for specific sensitivities in different
evaluating noise sensitivity was developed by Weinstein age groups based on the results of the annoyance test
[45] in 1978 as part of a study of college student reactions which are then correlated with the noise sensitivity
to noise in a dormitory context. The twenty-one question determined from the WNSS21. Conducting the study
Weinstein Noise Sensitivity Scale (WNSS21) has been both in Canada and Japan allows for a wide diversity in
translated into numerous languages and may researchers the participants and access to AISTs experience with
have modified or reduced the questions as part of their subjective tests with aging participants, strengthening the
studies. Some studies such as [40] have gone further by results of the study.
adding questions about a person’s neighborhood in
If it is found that there is an increase or decrease in noise
general or if the person planned to take action about
sensitivity as people age, it may be possible to better
aircraft noise [46] to determine if the person completing
establish environments for successful aging in place.
the questionnaire was a chronic complainer.
Ranges in the data collected from annoyance studies to
One study in Finland [47] asked one question, “do you determine minimum requirements for building codes can
have a noise sensitivity” whereas another study [48] asked be better understood and if aging adults are shown to be
dozens of questions to assess the noise sensitivity. In a typically more sensitive to noise, then higher minimum
study about aircraft noise [46], participants who lived near requirements for sound insulation will be needed. Based
airports in Australia were asked to rate their annoyance to on the results of the study, it may be possible to provide
being woken up by a dog barking, to hearing an answered data driven evidence to reduce the number of questions
telephone ringing, to trying to concentrate in a noisy used to determine the noise sensitivity if some questions
environment, to hearing a lawnmower while trying to rest, are shown to have small correlations to the sensitivities
to having a conversation interrupted by traffic noise, to determined from the annoyance testing. This will also be
hearing a neighbor’s TV or radio playing loudly. The important for aging in place since an individual’s noise
results were used to give a number related to noise sensitivity can indicate anticipated health and wellbeing
sensitivity. The researchers then tried to correlate the and a validated questionnaire based on the results of this
noise sensitivity to annoyance due to aircraft noise. study would be an advantageous tool for tracking the noise
However, the assumption that those six questions revealed sensitivity.
a noise sensitivity is compromised by potential biases.
The study is ongoing, but descriptions of the subjective
For example, few people like being woken up and so the
studies and some preliminary results can be found in
annoyance rating could be related to that more than the
conference proceedings [50–54].
source of the disturbance. The person may also not like
dogs and annoyance. However, some have questioned the
validity and reliability of these questions because they rely
on people remembering how they felt at a point in time
about a noise they no longer hear [49]. A means of

2nd – 4th September 2024, Christchurch

Conference of the Acoustical Society of New Zealand

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS [12] Fenton, M.R., Hoppmann, C.A., Boger, J., Dalton,
B.H., Komisar, V., Sakakibara, B.M., and Jakobi,
The Aging in Place Challenge program at the National J.M., Growing Older at Home: Canadians’ Meaning of
Research Council Canada was developed to fund Aging in Place, Journal of Aging and Environment, ,
collaborative projects to allow for a greater number of 1–23, (2024).
aging adults to live in the home or the community of their [13] Spinks, N., Beaulieu, M., Bryanton, O., Estabrooks,
choosing rather than to only have the option to move to C., Hébert, R., Jeffrey, L., Saad, O., Simces, Z., Sinha,
long-term care facilities. All of the Aging in Place S., and Williamson, P., “Supporting Canadians Aging
Challenge program projects described in this paper are at Home: Ensuring Quality of Life as We Age”,
ongoing, with results to be published in 2026. National Seniors Council, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
(2024).
While many of the AiP Challenge projects focus on [14] “Common Challenges, Shared Priorities: Measuring
AgeTech, many of the projects at the NRC’s Construction
Access to Home and Community Care and to Mental
Research Center focus on developing guidelines for the
Health and Addictions Services in Canada — Volume
design or retrofit of dwellings intended for aging in place.
2”, Canadian Institute for Health Information, Ottawa,
The results of the subjective studies, social surveys and
Ontario, Canada (2022),
research will result in guidance that will be made publicly https://www.cihi.ca/sites/default/files/document/com
available through the NRC to promote its use and possible mon-challenges-shared-priorities-vol-2-report-en.pdf.
inclusion in future building codes.
[15] National Survey Shows Canadians Overwhelmingly
Want to Age at Home; Just One-Quarter of Seniors
REFERENCES Expect to Do So, https://www.marchofdimes.ca/en-
[1] “Table 17-10-0005-01 Population estimates on July 1, ca/aboutus/newsroom/pr/prarchive/Pages/Aging-at-
by age and gender”, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Home.aspx .
Ontario, Canada (2024), [16] Oswald, F. and Wahl, H.-W., Dimensions of the
doi.org/10.25318/1710000501-eng. Meaning of Home in Later Life, in: Home and Identity
[2] “National Seniors Strategy Third Edition”, National in Late Life: International Perspectives, Springer
Institute on Ageing, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (2020). Publishing Company, New York, NY, US (2005).
[3] “Table 17-10-0057-01 Projected population, by [17] Aging in Place Challenge program,
projection scenario, age and gender, as of July 1”, https://nrc.canada.ca/en/research-
Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (2024), development/research-collaboration/programs/aging-
doi.org/10.25318/1710005701-eng. place-challenge-program .
[4] “Report 91-520-X Population Projections for Canada [18] Funded collaborative R&D programs and initiatives,
(2023 to 2073), Provinces and Territories (2023 to https://nrc.canada.ca/en/research-
2048)”, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada development/research-
(2024), https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/pub/91- collaboration/programs/funded-collaborative-rd-
520-x/91-520-x2024001-eng.pdf?st=l58eGkFI. programs-initiatives#gs-n-cs-filter1 .
[5] Channer, N.S., Hartt, M., and Biglieri, S., Aging-in- [19] Fournier, H., Molyneaux, H., Kondratova, I., and
place and the spatial distribution of older adult Ali, N., Privacy by Design and Cybersecurity for Safe,
vulnerability in Canada, Applied Geography, 125, Effective and Reliable Home Health Care for Aging in
102357, (2020). Place, in: Ed. by M. Serrhini, C. Silva, and S.
[6] “Housing Market Insight”, Canada Mortgage and Aljahdali, Innovation in Information Systems and
Housing Corporation (CMHC), Ottawa, Ontario, Technologies to Support Learning Research, Springer
Canada (2023). International Publishing, Cham (2020), pp. 442–450.
[7] “CIHR Institute of Aging Strategic Plan 2019-2021: [20] Kondratova, I., Cultural Dimensions Affecting
Living Longer, Living Better”, Canadian Institutes of Perception of Privacy and Intrusiveness of Video
Health Research (CIHR), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Monitoring Technologies for Aging at Home, in: Ed.
(2019), publications.gc.ca/pub?id=9.871951&sl=0. by C. Stephanidis, M. Antona, S. Ntoa, and G.
[8] “CIHR Institute of Aging Strategic plan 2023-2028 : Salvendy, HCI International 2024 Posters, Springer
reframing aging : empowering older adults.”, Nature Switzerland, Cham (2024), pp. 168–174.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), [21] Alousi-Jones, M., Carvalho, T., Gerebtzoff, A.,
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (2023), Johannson, L., Joly-Simard, R., Zhang, M., Jimenez,
publications.gc.ca/pub?id=9.921337&sl=0. I., and El-Geneidy, A., “Getting Around to Age in
[9] “Government of Canada Action for Seniors”, Canada. Place Meeting Older Canadians’ Mobility Needs via
Employment and Social Development Canada, Public Transportation Progress Report 2022-2023”,
Gatineau, Quebec, Canada (2014), McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (2023),
publications.gc.ca/pub?id=9.700033&sl=0. https://tram.mcgill.ca/Research/Surveys/Aging/Aging
[10] “Solving the Housing Crisis: Canada’s Housing _in_place_NRC_2023.pdf.
Plan”, Infrastructure Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada [22] B. Wallace, F. Knoefel, R. Goubran, H. Sveistrup,
(2024). and N. Thomas, Measurement and Applications:
[11] Feil, C., Iciaszczyk, N., and Sinha, S., “2021 Technology Enabling Aging in Place - The Supportive
Pandemic Perspectives on Long-Term Care: Insights Smart Home, IEEE Instrumentation & Measurement
from Canadians in Light of COVID-19”, National Magazine, 26(7), 34–40, (2023).
Institute on Ageing, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (2021).

2nd – 4th September 2024, Christchurch

 Conference of the Acoustical Society of New Zealand

[23] Genge, C., McNeil, H., Debergue, P., and Freeman, [36] Aasvang, G.M., Moum, T., and Engdahl, B., Self-
S., Technology to support aging in place: key reported sleep disturbances due to railway noise:
messages for policymakers and funders, Frontiers in Exposure-response relationships for nighttime
Psychology, 14, (2023). equivalent and maximum noise levels, The Journal of
[24] Aging in Place Challenge program funding the Acoustical Society of America, 124(1), 257–268,
opportunity: healthy aging community living labs, (2008).
https://nrc.canada.ca/en/research- [37] Nivison, M.E. and Endresen, I.M., An analysis of
development/research- relationships among environmental noise, annoyance
collaboration/programs/funded-collaborative-rd- and sensitivity to noise, and the consequences for
programs-initiatives . health and sleep, Journal of Behavioral Medicine,
[25] Multigenerational home renovation tax credit 16(3), 257–276, (1993).
(MHRTC), https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue- [38] Beyer, A., Kamin, S.T., and Lang, F.R., Housing in
agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/about-your- Old Age: Dynamical Interactions Between
tax-return/tax-return/completing-a-tax- Neighborhood Attachment, Neighbor Annoyance, and
return/deductions-credits- Residential Satisfaction, Journal of Housing For the
expenses/multigenerational-home-renovation.html . Elderly, 31(4), 382–393, (2017).
[26] Seniors’ Home Safety Tax Credit, [39] Nijland, H.A., Hartemink, S., van Kamp, I., and van
https://www.ontario.ca/page/seniors-home-safety- Wee, B., The influence of sensitivity for road traffic
tax-credit . noise on residential location: Does it trigger a process
[27] Canadian Homes for Aging in Place Survey on of spatial selection?, The Journal of the Acoustical
Environmental Well-Being, https://nrc-cnrc- Society of America, 122(3), 1595–1601, (2007).
construction.ca/cgi- [40] Weinstein, N.D., Individual differences in critical
bin/sccgi04.pl?E_version=4&E_file=/var/www/html/ tendencies and noise annoyance, Journal of Sound and
canadian-homes-for-aging-in-place/survey-on- Vibration, 68(2), 241–248, (1980).
environmental-well-being.htm . [41] James, R.N., Residential Satisfaction of Elderly
[28] Park, J., Chung, S., Lee, J., Sung, J.H., Seung Woo Tenants in Apartment Housing, Social Indicators
Cho, and Chang Sun Sim, Noise sensitivity, rather Research, 89(3), 421–437, (2008).
than noise level, predicts the non-auditory effects of [42] Kahana, E. and Kahana, B., Conceptual and
noise in community samples: a population-based empirical advances in understanding aging well
survey, BMC Public Health, 17, 1, (2017). through proactive adaptation., in: Adulthood and
[29] Senese, V.P., Ruotolo, F., Ruggiero, G., and Iachini, Aging: Research on Continuities and Discontinuities.,
T., The Italian version of the Weinstein Noise Springer Publishing Company, New York, NY, US
Sensitivity Scale: Measurement invariance across age, (1996), pp. 18–40.
sex, and context., European Journal of Psychological [43] Lawton, M.P., Housing the Elderly: Residential
Assessment, 28(2), 118–124, (2012). Quality and Residential Satisfaction, Research on
[30] Schreckenberg, D., Griefahn, B., and Meis, M., The Aging, 2(3), 309–328, (1980).
associations between noise sensitivity, reported [44] Van Gerven, P.W.M., Vos, H., Van Boxtel, M.P.J.,
physical and mental health, perceived environmental Janssen, S.A., and Miedema, H.M.E., Annoyance
quality, and noise annoyance, Noise and Health, from environmental noise across the lifespan, The
12(46), 7–16, (2010). Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 126(1),
[31] Iwata, O., The relationship of noise sensitivity to 187–194, (2009).
health and personality, Japanese Psychological [45] Weinstein, N., Individual differences in reactions to
Research, 26(2), 75–81, (1984). noise: a longitudinal study in a college dormitory., The
[32] Fyhri, A. and Klæboe, R., Road traffic noise, Journal of Applied Psychology, 63 4, 458–66, (1978).
sensitivity, annoyance and self-reported health—A [46] Bullen, R.B., Hede, A.J., and Kyriacos, E., Reaction
structural equation model exercise, Environment to aircraft noise in residential areas around Australian
International, 35(1), 91–97, (2009). airports, Journal of Sound and Vibration, 108(2), 199–
[33] Heinonen-Guzejev, M., Vuorinen, H.S., Mussalo- 225, (1986).
Rauhamaa, H., Heikkilä, K., Koskenvuo, M., and [47] Heinonen-Guzejev, M., Vuorinen, H., Kaprio, J.,
Kaprio, J., The association of noise sensitivity with Heikkilä, K., Mussalo-Rauhamaa, H., and Koskenvuo,
coronary heart and cardiovascular mortality among M., Self-report of Transportation Noise Exposure,
Finnish adults, Science of The Total Environment, Annoyance and Noise Sensitivity in Relation to Noise
372(2), 406–412, (2007). Map Information, Journal of Sound and Vibration,
[34] Heinonen-Guzejev, M., Vuorinen, H.S., Mussalo- 234(2), 191–206, (2000).
Rauhamaa, H., Heikkilä, K., Koskenvuo, M., and [48] Sandrock, S., Schutte, M., and Griefahn, B., The
Kaprio, J., Somatic and Psychological Characteristics reliability of the noise sensitivity questionnaire in a
of Noise-Sensitive Adults in Finland, Archives of cross-national analysis, Noise and Health, 9(34), 8–
Environmental Health: An International Journal, 14, (2007).
59(8), 410–417, (2004). [49] Stansfeld, S.A., Sharp, D.S., Gallacher, J., and
[35] Shepherd, D., Heinonen-Guzejev, M., Hautus, M.J., Babisch, W., Road traffic noise, noise sensitivity and
and Heikkilä, K., Elucidating the relationship between psychological disorder, Psychological Medicine,
noise sensitivity and personality, Noise & Health, 23(4), 977–985, (1993).
17(76), 165–171, (2015).
2nd – 4th September 2024, Christchurch
Conference of the Acoustical Society of New Zealand

[50] Mahn, J., Mueller-Trapet, M., da Cunha, I.B., Sato,

H., Hirakawa, S., and Chikai, M., Impact noise
annoyance amongst seniors aging in place, INTER-
NOISE and NOISE-CON Congress and Conference
Proceedings, 261(5), 1267–1270, (2020).
[51] Sato, H., Hirakawa, S., Chikai, M., Mahn, J.,
Mueller-Trapet, M., and da Cunha, I.B., Effect of
spatial distribution of floor impact sound on
annoyance response for older and young adults,
INTER-NOISE and NOISE-CON Congress and
Conference Proceedings, 261(5), 1263–1266, (2020).
[52] Mueller-Trapet, M., Batista da Cunha, I., and Mahn,
J., Subjective studies on impact sound in times of a
pandemic – a comparison between a laboratory study
and an online listening test, INTER-NOISE and
NOISE-CON Congress and Conference Proceedings,
263(1), 5090–5096, (2021).
[53] Hirakawa, S., Sato, H., Chikai, M., Hiramitsu, A.,
Sato, H., Mahn, J., Mueller-Trapet, M., and Batista da
Cunha, I., Subjective studies on floor impact sound
using headphone, INTER-NOISE and NOISE-CON
Congress and Conference Proceedings, 265(4), 3303–
3308, (2023).
[54] Chikai, M., Hirakawa, S., Sato, H., Hiramitsu, A.,
Kimura, K., Terasawa, H., Mahn, J., Müller-Trapet,
M., Cunha, I.B. da, and Sato, H., Comparison between
noise annoyance and noise sensitivity, INTER-NOISE
and NOISE-CON Congress and Conference
Proceedings, 268(2), 6808–6814, (2023).

2nd – 4th September 2024, Christchurch