Associations between Road Traffic Noise Exposure and Cognitive Performance: A Cross-Sectional Study in Swiss Adolescents

Objective: The association of road traffic noise exposure at home and at school with cognitive performance in Swiss adolescents aged 11–15 years was investigated. Methods: The study included 276 adolescents from Northwest and Central Switzerland, and data collection was conducted between 2023 and 2025. Noise exposure was modeled using the sonBase propagation model for Switzerland at home and at school, and cognitive performance was measured with six standardized tests. Data were analyzed using multilevel models with a random intercept for schools and adjusted by socioeconomic status, air pollution, age, and sex of the participants. The role of noise annoyance was explored via moderation and mediation analyses. Results: A 10-dB increase in road noise L _den at home was associated with poorer deductive reasoning ( β  = −0.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] −1.55, −0.16). Other cognitive test results were not associated with road traffic noise exposure, except for a negative association between verbal reasoning and road traffic noise at school for those reporting to be at least slightly annoyed by noise at school ( β  = −3.03, 95% CI: −5.89, −0.16). Mediation analyses showed no evidence of direct or indirect effects via noise annoyance. Conclusion: The findings from this cross-sectional study suggest that exposure to road traffic noise may be associated with cognitive performance in adolescents, although the few observed associations may reflect chance findings. Further research in larger samples is needed to obtain more robust evidence for this age group.