Environmental noise and self-rated health in older surgical patients undergoing general anesthesia: a cross-sectional study of anxiety as a behavioral pathway for healthy aging

Hospital sound levels substantially above international guidelines constitute a modifiable environmental barrier to healthy aging, deteriorating older adults' self-perceived health partly by intensifying anxiety. Integrating acoustic standards into hospital quality metrics and coupling noise reduction with early anxiety management represent feasible public-health strategies to support functional recovery and well-being in rapidly aging populations.