Michael Hendryx, PhD

Director, West Virginia Rural Health Research Center

Phone: 304.293.9206
Fax: 304.293.6685
E-mail: mhendryx@hsc.wvu.edu

Institute for Health Policy Research, Department of Community Medicine
West Virginia University
3110 MacCorkle Avenue, SE
Charleston, WV 25304-1299

Current Projects

Toxics Release Inventory Sites and Population Health across Rural and Urban Areas
Research center: West Virginia Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topic: Public health
Previous research has identified higher mortality rates in rural areas in association with exposure to pollution sources. This study conducts mortality outcome analyses specific to discharges from Toxics Release Inventory sites across the spectrum of rural to urban settings.

Completed Projects

Rural Environmental Hazards Inventory and Associated Health Outcomes, Lead researcher
Research center: West Virginia Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health promotion and disease prevention, Public health
This study will create a national inventory of potential environmental hazards for rural populations. Population health outcomes such as CDC mortality statistics will be examined to determine if poor health outcomes are related to greater exposures to potential hazards.

Publications

• Pollution Sources and Mortality Rates across Rural-Urban Areas in the United States (Final Report)
  Author(s): Michael Hendryx, Evan Fedorko, Joel Halverson
  Research center: West Virginia Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Agricultural health and safety, Public health
  Report Number: Final Report #1
  Date: 02 / 2010
  Rural counties contain more than 65,000 EPA-recognized point pollution sources. A greater density of water and air pollution sources in rural counties is associated with higher cancer mortality rates adjusting for other risks. Rural areas also experience mortality risks in association with coal mining activity.
• Pollution Sources and Mortality Rates across Rural-Urban Areas in the United States (Policy Brief)
  Author(s): Michael Hendryx, Evan Fedorko, Joel Halverson
  Research center: West Virginia Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Agricultural health and safety, Public health
  Report Number: Policy Brief #1
  Date: 02 / 2010
  Rural counties contain more than 65,000 EPA-recognized point pollution sources. A greater density of water and air pollution sources in rural counties is associated with higher cancer mortality rates adjusting for other risks. Rural areas also experience mortality risks in association with coal mining activity.