摘要：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. The United States has 27% of known coal reserves, 1 and as many as 153 new coal-fired power plants are scheduled for operation by 2030. 2 , 3 Pressure to increase coal mining is likely to intensify because of concerns about nuclear power, energy security, and peak global oil production. 4 – 6 Increased coal demand may exacerbate negative health effects of coal-mining activities, including occupational hazards of coal mining, 7 , 8 air pollution from burning coal, 9 health consequences of carbon dioxide–caused climate change, 10 , 11 and community exposure to mining activities. We examined whether coal mining in West Virginia is related to poorer health status and incidence of chronic illness. We sought to find whether coal mining effects may result only from socioeconomic correlates of mining such as income or education or whether effects persist after controlling for such factors, which would suggest possible environmental exposure problems. Quantitative research on health consequences of residential proximity to coal mining is limited to a few studies of respiratory illness conducted in Great Britain. One study found no effect of coal mining, 12 but others found elevated risks. 13 – 15
