Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
Ailing in Place: Environment and Health in Appalachia
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Does your zip code affect your health status? Consider the difference between living in Hawaii and living in Mississippi. According to 2014 national health rankings, Hawaii is the healthiest state in the U.S., and Mississippi is the unhealthiest. There are multiple social, economic, and political factors that contribute to the disparities in health between Hawaii and Mississippi, however, the environment in and of itself has an impact on resident’s overall health and well-being. A zip code identifies a location on a map, but the social, cultural, and environmental conditions of a specific location are referred to as “place.” Place has multiple meanings, many of them are good, some of them not so good; places can be distinctive because of their positive attributes as well as their negative ones. One place can be both hopeful and hopeless, it can create optimism and despair, and it can be satisfying and frustrating at the same time. Places can also be distinctive because of environmental health conditions and this presentation examines environmental exposures that are characteristic in the place called Appalachia. In particular, it focuses on both distinct and common environmental conditions in the region and addresses public health outcomes that are related to these conditions. Stories about land use and economic development decisions that have contributed to health disparities are the focal point of this presentation.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Michele Morrone is a Professor of Environmental Health Science at Ohio University. She has authored several papers and 2 books related to health disparities and environmental justice in Appalachia.
Ailing in Place: Environment and Health in Appalachia
Does your zip code affect your health status? Consider the difference between living in Hawaii and living in Mississippi. According to 2014 national health rankings, Hawaii is the healthiest state in the U.S., and Mississippi is the unhealthiest. There are multiple social, economic, and political factors that contribute to the disparities in health between Hawaii and Mississippi, however, the environment in and of itself has an impact on resident’s overall health and well-being. A zip code identifies a location on a map, but the social, cultural, and environmental conditions of a specific location are referred to as “place.” Place has multiple meanings, many of them are good, some of them not so good; places can be distinctive because of their positive attributes as well as their negative ones. One place can be both hopeful and hopeless, it can create optimism and despair, and it can be satisfying and frustrating at the same time. Places can also be distinctive because of environmental health conditions and this presentation examines environmental exposures that are characteristic in the place called Appalachia. In particular, it focuses on both distinct and common environmental conditions in the region and addresses public health outcomes that are related to these conditions. Stories about land use and economic development decisions that have contributed to health disparities are the focal point of this presentation.
