About this Research Topic

Background

The inextricable links between the acoustic environment and human health have been proved by many studies. Therefore, how to create a good acoustic environment to support people’s health and well-being becomes a consequential goal pursued by researchers, engineers, and in the end policymakers. From eliminating the adverse effects caused by noise, represented by noise annoyance, physical diseases and psychological problems, to create restorative soundscapes which are helpful for stress relief and fatigue recovery, great efforts and attempts have been made towards a healthy acoustic environment. However, there are still many points that need to be considered and discussed: What is the conceptual and theoretical framework of a healthy acoustic environment? How can we evaluate a healthy acoustic environment with standardized tools and methods? What indicators need to be controlled and adjusted in order to create a healthy acoustic environment? Do vulnerable people, such as the older adults, children, etc., have different demands for a healthy acoustic environment? With regard to the construction of a suitable environment promoting health and well-being, we are still on the way as there seems still a significant lack of understanding.

In this Research Topic, any cases, measures, and approaches on how to create a healthy environment to improve people’s health in their school, occupation, home, or leisure environment are welcome to be discussed in both theoretical and methodological ways. We also expect the interdisciplinary communication and cooperation among researchers in acoustics, psychology, physiology, public health, sociology, and so on, to make the study scope more distinct, elaborate, and prolific step by step. We believe all the works will contribute to the practice and noise policy to create healthy acoustic environments for human beings particularly in such rapidly developing times with both hope and danger.

The sub-themes include but are not limited to the following:

• In-depth discussion on the concept and theory frame of a healthy acoustic environment

• Research on tools and methods to measure a healthy acoustic environment

• Public health studies with special emphasis on supportive acoustic environments

• Intervention studies to obtain a healthier acoustic environment

• Case studies and approaches to establishing a healthy acoustic environment during the COVID-19 pandemic

• Perspectives on the paradigm shift from dealing with adverse noise effects to focusing on supportive and healthy issues in acoustics environments

We welcome a broad range of article types, including Original Research, Systematic Review, Methods, Hypothesis and Theory, Perspective, and Brief Research Report, The aim is to provide both a theoretical and methodological state of the art on the topic.

Keywords: acoustic environment, vulnerable groups, measures, approaches, interdisciplinary study, noise policy

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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