During recent years in Sweden the number of complaints regarding hearing related disorders from employees working in the preschool (kindergarten) has increased. It is often assumed that the size of the child group is the crucial factor associated with the high noise levels. However, the association between the noise levels and the size of the child group is not fully understood. Further, it is likely that the gender balance and the age of the children have an effect on the noise levels in the preschools.
The aim of the study was to investigate the association between noise in the preschool and the constitution of the child group in terms of number of children, gender balance and the children’s age.
Noise levels were recorded at 34 preschool sites in Sweden using stationary sound level meters with an external microphone mounted in the ceiling in the dining room and the play halls at each site. Sound level measurements were carried out during 2-3 days in each room during the entire workday. Data regarding the constitution of the child group for every day was collected at the end of the week from the enrollment list.