Abstract
Objective. To determine the impact of coal mining, measured as the number of coal mining-related facilities nearby one's residence or employment in an occupation directly related to coal mining, on self-rated health in Appalachia. Methods. Unadjusted and adjusted ordinal logistic regression models calculated odds ratio estimates and associated 95% confidence intervals for the probability of having an excellent self-rated health response versus another response. Covariates considered in the analyses included number of coal mining-related facilities nearby one's residence and employment in an occupation directly related to coal mining, as well as potential confounders age, sex, BMI, smoking status, income, and education. Results. The number of coal mining facilities near the respondent's residence was not a statistically significant predictor of self-rated health. Employment in a coal-related occupation was a statistically significant predictor of self-rated health univariably; however, after adjusting for potential confounders, it was no longer a significant predictor. Conclusions. Self-rated health does not seem to be associated with residential proximity to coal mining facilities or employment in the coal industry. Future research should consider additional measures for the impact of coal mining.
Highlights
The Appalachian Region is a 205,000-square-mile area that follows the spine of the Appalachian Mountains and includes all of West Virginia and parts of 12 other states [1]
Residents in Appalachia are at an increased risk for diseases with environmental components—such as heart disease [7, 8], cancer [9], diabetes [10], and obesity [11]—compared with other ethnic groups or those living in nonrural areas [12]
Residents of Appalachian coal mining communities have expressed concerns regarding illnesses after reported exposure to contaminated air and water from coal mining activities [19]; it is unclear whether living near coal mining sites Journal of Environmental and Public Health negatively affects health [15, 20]
Summary
The Appalachian Region is a 205,000-square-mile area that follows the spine of the Appalachian Mountains and includes all of West Virginia and parts of 12 other states [1]. Many Appalachian communities bear the burden of environmental exposure to toxicants from coal mining [3], chemical industries [4], metal refineries [5], and environmental tobacco smoke [6]. Residents in Appalachia are at an increased risk for diseases with environmental components—such as heart disease [7, 8], cancer [9], diabetes [10], and obesity [11]—compared with other ethnic groups or those living in nonrural areas [12]. Coal mining is one of the major economic industries for eight Appalachian states (Alabama, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia) [18]. Residents of Appalachian coal mining communities have expressed concerns regarding illnesses after reported exposure to contaminated air and water from coal mining activities [19]; it is unclear whether living near coal mining sites
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