Abstract
Mountaintop coal mining in the Appalachian region in the United States causes significant environmental damage to air and
water. Serious health disparities exist for people who live in coal mining portions of Appalachia, but little previous research
has examined disparities specifically in mountaintop mining communities. A community-based participatory research study was
designed and implemented to collect information on cancer rates in a rural mountaintop mining area compared to a rural non-mining
area of West Virginia. A door–door health interview collected data from 773 adults. Self-reported cancer rates were significantly
higher in the mining versus the non-mining area after control for respondent age, sex, smoking, occupational history, and
family cancer history (odds ratio = 2.03, 95% confidence interval = 1.32–3.13). Mountaintop mining is linked to increased
community cancer risk. Efforts to reduce cancer and other health disparities in Appalachia must focus on mountaintop mining
portions of the region.
water. Serious health disparities exist for people who live in coal mining portions of Appalachia, but little previous research
has examined disparities specifically in mountaintop mining communities. A community-based participatory research study was
designed and implemented to collect information on cancer rates in a rural mountaintop mining area compared to a rural non-mining
area of West Virginia. A door–door health interview collected data from 773 adults. Self-reported cancer rates were significantly
higher in the mining versus the non-mining area after control for respondent age, sex, smoking, occupational history, and
family cancer history (odds ratio = 2.03, 95% confidence interval = 1.32–3.13). Mountaintop mining is linked to increased
community cancer risk. Efforts to reduce cancer and other health disparities in Appalachia must focus on mountaintop mining
portions of the region.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-8
- DOI 10.1007/s10900-011-9448-5
- Authors
- Michael Hendryx, Department of Community Medicine, West Virginia University, P.O. Box 9190, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
- Leah Wolfe, West Virginia Rural Health Research Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
- Juhua Luo, Department of Community Medicine, West Virginia University, P.O. Box 9190, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
- Bo Webb, Coal River, WV, USA
- Journal Journal of Community Health
- Online ISSN 1573-3610
- Print ISSN 0094-5145