WVU Study Finds Poorer Health Near Mountaintop Mining

A new study conducted by the West Virginia University School of Medicine finds poorer health in Appalachian counties where coal is mined, especially those with mountaintop mining operations.

The study, “Health-Related Quality of Life Among Central Appalachian Residents in Mountaintop Mining Counties” appears in the May issue of the “American Journal of Public Health.”

The study relied on a population-based measure of health-related quality of life developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Residents in four central Appalachian states – Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia – contacted randomly by telephone were asked questions about how many poor mental and physical health days they had experienced in the previous 30 days.

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