Noise pollution and public health curricula: a missing link in environmental health preparedness

Environmental noise is a pervasive yet under-recognized public health hazard. Robust evidence links transport and community noise exposure to a range of adverse health outcomes, including sleep disturbance, cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, and reduced quality of life. Yet, despite its clear health burden, noise pollution remains marginal in global health agendas and is inconsistently integrated into education and training. Recent reforms to public health curricula, particularly in the United States, have contributed to a broader erosion of environmental health content, with noise largely absent or reduced to a subtopic within occupational health. This educational gap has significant implications: graduates often lack competencies in community exposure assessment, epidemiological interpretation, policy evaluation, and intersectoral interventions. Addressing the underrepresentation of noise in public health training is therefore a critical step toward mainstreaming noise as a determinant of health. Embedding core competencies on noise pollution in MPH curricula would enhance professional readiness, promote equity, and better align public health capacity with the scale of the problem.