Occupational exposure to noise and depression incidence: a nationwide cohort study of workers in Denmark…

Cohort studyOccupational and environmental medicine· Aug 2026

Occupational exposure to noise and depression incidence: a nationwide cohort study of workers in Denmark, 2000-2017.

Anne Marie Kirkegaard, Aslak Harbo Poulsen, Zara Ann Stokholm … Mette Sørensen

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Occupational & Environmental MedicineCohort studyClinical practiceQ1IF 2.9

Higher occupational noise associated with greater depression risk in workers under 40

Occupational exposure to noise and depression incidence: a nationwide cohort study of workers in Denmark, 2000-2017.

Anne Marie Kirkegaard … Mette Sørensen

Occupational and environmental medicine · Aug 2026 · Q1 in Public Health

Background

Research on the association between occupational noise and incident depression is limited.

Purpose

We investigated whether long-term occupational noise was associated with depression risk, both independently and in combination with other stress-related factors.

Methods

In a Danish nationwide register-based cohort of 2 424 542 workers aged 25-64 years, individual-level occupational histories were linked to noise exposure using a job exposure matrix.

n = 900 men

Results

Each 10 dBA louder workplace noise linked to 13% higher depression hazard in young men

HR 1.13 (95% CI 1.10 to 1.15)

null 1

1.10

1.15

CI excludes the null - significant

More results

Higher risks were mainly observed among workers with low education, low to median income, blue-collar jobs or financial stress.

Among men aged 40-64 years, the corresponding HR was 0.98 (0.97 to 1.00), with inverse associations mainly observed among those with high income, white-collar occupations and no financial stress.

“

Conclusion · 1 of 2

Long-term exposure to occupational noise seemed associated with higher depression risk among women as well as men younger than 40 years.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

Associations were mainly observed among workers of low socioeconomic status, suggesting that noise reduction may be particularly relevant for prevention in vulnerable worker groups.

Occupational exposure to noise and depression incidence: a nationwide cohort study of workers in Denmark, 2000-2017.

Occupational exposure to noise and depression incidence: a nationwide cohort study of workers in Denmark, 2000-2017.

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