摘要：Aim: An analysis of generalpractice datafor rural communities in close proximity to coalmining and coal-fired power generation in theHunter Valley region of NSW was conducted toidentify unusual patterns of illness. Methods: Bet-tering the Evaluation and Care of Health generalpractice consultation data from the Hunter Valleyregion for 1998–2010 were compared with datafrom all other rural NSW residents. Results: Therewere no significantly higher rates of problemsmanaged or medications prescribed for HunterValley region residents compared with the rest ofrural NSW. Rates of respiratory problem manage-ment in the Hunter Valley region did not changesignificantly over time, while for all other ruralNSW areas these rates significantly decreased.Conclusion: There was no evidence of significantlyelevated health issues for residents in the HunterValley region of NSW. The diverging trend forrespiratory problem management over time is wor-thy of further exploration
