Traffic Noise Pollution and Community Awareness of Cardiovascular Risks a Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study in Peshawar

This community-based cross-sectional study investigated Peshawar people' attitudes of traffic noise as a cardiovascular risk factor. A total of 384 respondents, chosen via stratified random sampling, completed a validated questionnaire given to them in person. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and t-tests were employed to evaluate demographic data and awareness levels. Bloom's cut-off criterion revealed that overall awareness was shockingly low, with only 1% of respondents displaying "good" knowledge, 18.8% having "neutral" knowledge, and 80.2% having "poor" knowledge. Residents in low-traffic areas demonstrated higher levels of awareness than those in high-traffic zones (50.8% vs. 42.1%, p < 0.001). High-traffic populations were at a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular morbidity (28.6% reported hypertension or heart disease vs. 10.4% in low-traffic zones, p < 0.001). These findings show a large knowledge gap about noise-related cardiovascular risks, especially among the most exposed individuals. The study underlines the urgent need for targeted public health campaigns, the integration of environmental health into cardiovascular preventative strategies, and stricter noise control policies to eliminate this underestimated but manageable risk factor in urban Pakistan.