West Virginia Rural Health Research Center

Current Projects

Agricultural Medicine Training for Rural America
The purpose of the research is to identify the availability and characteristics of agricultural medicine training opportunities for health care professionals. Agricultural workers and their families face numerous threats to health and safety, and yet there is limited information on health care expertise in place to recognize and prevent threats, and to diagnosis and treat agriculturally-related injury and illness.
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topic: Environmental & agricultural health

Cancer Hospitalizations in Rural-Urban Areas in Relation to Carcinogenic Discharges from Toxics Release Inventory Facilities
The purpose of the research is to understand whether discharges of carcinogens from Toxics Release Inventory facilities are related to higher cancer hospitalization rates in rural and urban settings. Evidence for this association will have potential implications for improvements to environmental policy or policies for improved cancer detection and treatment in rural settings.
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Chronic diseases and conditions, Environmental & agricultural health, Hospitals and clinics, Public health

Childhood Asthma and Air Quality in Rural-Urban Areas
This study will examine the prevalence of childhood asthma across urban and rural settings. We will examine how asthma may be related to measures of ambient air quality, as well as how asthma may be related to agricultural activity of different types, to proximity to metropolitan areas, and to measures of demographics and health care insurance.
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Children, Environmental & agricultural health

Environmental Workforce Characteristics in the Rural Public Health Sector
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. This project analyzes the environmental workforce characteristics of the rural public health sector to inform policy relative to coordination of rural environmental health services.
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Environmental & agricultural health, Public health

Promotion and Protection of Rural Miner Health: Are the Resources in Place?
Miners are exposed to various potentially harmful agents and dangerous work conditions, and may have difficulty accessing care in some rural settings. The study aims to 1) Locate and map mining communities in the US and rural safety net providers (RHC’s, FQHC’s and Critical Access Hospitals) in those communities; and 2) Identify environmental health competencies (specifically related to miner health) in rural primary care providers practicing in identified mining communities.
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Environmental & agricultural health, Health services, Public health

Rural H1N1 Experience
This project aims to describe the rural H1N1 experience, including comparisons of rural vs. urban H1N1 vaccination rates, and describe rural H1N1 incidence, care patterns, and mortality. Additionally, through key stakeholder interviews, we will describe the rural needs in decisions relative to H1N1 vaccine distribution.
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topic: Public health

Topics Centers Researchers Other Resources Search		West Virginia Rural Health Research Center Current Projects Agricultural Medicine Training for Rural America The purpose of the research is to identify the availability and characteristics of agricultural medicine training opportunities for health care professionals. Agricultural workers and their families face numerous threats to health and safety, and yet there is limited information on health care expertise in place to recognize and prevent threats, and to diagnosis and treat agriculturally-related injury and illness. Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topic: Environmental & agricultural health Cancer Hospitalizations in Rural-Urban Areas in Relation to Carcinogenic Discharges from Toxics Release Inventory Facilities The purpose of the research is to understand whether discharges of carcinogens from Toxics Release Inventory facilities are related to higher cancer hospitalization rates in rural and urban settings. Evidence for this association will have potential implications for improvements to environmental policy or policies for improved cancer detection and treatment in rural settings. Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Chronic diseases and conditions, Environmental & agricultural health, Hospitals and clinics, Public health Childhood Asthma and Air Quality in Rural-Urban Areas This study will examine the prevalence of childhood asthma across urban and rural settings. We will examine how asthma may be related to measures of ambient air quality, as well as how asthma may be related to agricultural activity of different types, to proximity to metropolitan areas, and to measures of demographics and health care insurance. Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Children, Environmental & agricultural health Environmental Workforce Characteristics in the Rural Public Health Sector 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. This project analyzes the environmental workforce characteristics of the rural public health sector to inform policy relative to coordination of rural environmental health services. Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Environmental & agricultural health, Public health Promotion and Protection of Rural Miner Health: Are the Resources in Place? Miners are exposed to various potentially harmful agents and dangerous work conditions, and may have difficulty accessing care in some rural settings. The study aims to 1) Locate and map mining communities in the US and rural safety net providers (RHC’s, FQHC’s and Critical Access Hospitals) in those communities; and 2) Identify environmental health competencies (specifically related to miner health) in rural primary care providers practicing in identified mining communities. Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Environmental & agricultural health, Health services, Public health Rural H1N1 Experience This project aims to describe the rural H1N1 experience, including comparisons of rural vs. urban H1N1 vaccination rates, and describe rural H1N1 incidence, care patterns, and mortality. Additionally, through key stakeholder interviews, we will describe the rural needs in decisions relative to H1N1 vaccine distribution. Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topic: Public health