Factors influencing high respiratory mortality in coal-mining counties: a repeated cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Previous studies have associated elevated mortality risk in central Appalachia with coal-mining activities, but few have explored how different non-coal factors influence the association within each county. Consequently, there is a knowledge gap in identifying effective ways to address health disparities in coal-mining counties. To specifically address this knowledge gap, this study estimated the effect of living in a coal-mining county on non-malignant respiratory diseases (NMRD) mortality, and defined this as "coal-county effect." We also investigated what factors may accentuate or attenuate the coal-county effect.

Methods

An ecological epidemiology protocol was designed to observe the characteristics of three populations and to identify the effects of coal-mini

SUBMITTER: Shi R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6839055 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature