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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2007.113472v1 98/4/669    most recent Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Hendryx, M. Articles by Ahern, M. M. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hendryx, M. Articles by Ahern, M. M. Related Collections Other Respiratory Health Cardiovascular Disease Other Chronic Disease Community Health Other Environment Surveys

Michael Hendryx, PhD and Melissa M. Ahern, PhD

Michael Hendryx is with the Department of Community Medicine and the Institute for Health Policy Research, West Virginia University, Morgantown. Melissa M. Ahern is with the Department of Health Policy and Administration, Washington State University, Spokane.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Michael Hendryx, PhD, Department of Community Medicine, West Virginia University, One Medical Center Dr, PO Box 9190, Morgantown, WV 26506 (e-mail: mhendryx{at}hsc.wvu.edu).

We used data from a survey of 16493 West Virginians merged with county-level coal production and other covariates to investigate the relations between health indicators and residential proximity to coal mining. Results of hierarchical analyses indicated that high levels of coal production were associated with worse adjusted health status and with higher rates of cardiopulmonary disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, lung disease, and kidney disease. Research is recommended to ascertain the mechanisms, magnitude, and consequences of a community coal-mining exposure effect.