A comparative analysis of health-related quality of life for residents of U.S. counties with and without coal mining.
OBJECTIVE
We compared health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in mining and non-mining counties in and out of Appalachia using the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey.


METHODS
Dependent variables included self-rated health, the number of poor physical and mental health days, the number of activity limitation days (in the last 30 days), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Healthy Days Index. Independent variables included the presence of coal mining, Appalachian region residence, metropolitan status, primary care physician supply, and BRFSS behavioral (e.g., smoking, body mass index, and alcohol consumption) and demographic (e.g., age, gender, race, and income) variables. We compared dependent variables across a four-category variable: Appalachia (yes/ no) and coal mining (yes/no). We used SUDAAN Multilog and multiple linear regression models with post-hoc least-squares means to test for Appalachian coal-mining effects after adjusting for covariates.


RESULTS
Residents of coal-mining counties inside and outside of Appalachia reported significantly fewer healthy days for both physical and mental health, and poorer self-rated health (p < 0.0005) when compared with referent U.S. non-coal-mining counties, but disparities were greatest for people residing in Appalachian coal-mining areas. Furthermore, results remained consistent in separate analyses by gender and age.


CONCLUSIONS
Coal-mining areas are characterized by greater socioeconomic disadvantage, riskier health behaviors, and environmental degradation that are associated with reduced HRQOL.
Zullig
Keith J
KJ
Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA. kzullig@hsc.wvu.edu
Hendryx
Michael
M
D000328:Adult; D001061:Appalachian Region / Q000453:epidemiology; D040343:Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; D003032:Coal Mining; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology