Research Alert: January 12, 2012

Environmental Workforce Characteristics in the Rural
Public Health Sector

• Policy Brief
• Final Report

Environmental risks to rural populations are understudied relative to urban areas despite increasing recognition that rural populations are potentially exposed to these risks from agricultural, mining, industrial, or other sources. These environmental risks and associated health problems carry corresponding implications for public health programs and services, and highlight the need for a rural public health workforce that includes appropriate environmental health specialists. However, documentation exists that the environmental workforce in rural areas is underdeveloped. This project analyzed the environmental workforce characteristics of the rural public health sector to inform policy relative to coordination of rural environmental health services.

Contact information:

Cynthia Armstrong Persily PhD, RN, FAAN
Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, Southern Region Programs
Professor and Chairperson, Charleston Division
West Virginia University School of Nursing
3110 MacCorkle Ave SE
Charleston, WV 25304
cpersily@hsc.wvu.edu

Additional Resources of Interest:

• A Rural Socioeconomic Vulnerability and Resiliency Index and Associated Health Outcomes (Policy Brief)
• Pollution Sources and Mortality Rates across Rural-Urban Areas in the United States (Policy Brief)
• More information about the West Virginia Rural Health Research Center
  

Subscriber Services:

• Sign up to receive Research Alerts