INTRODUCTION The incidence of cervical cancer in Appalachia exceeds the national rate; rural Appalachian women are at especially high risk. We assessed the attitudes and practices related to human papillomavirus vaccination among providers in primary care practices in a contiguous 5-county area of Appalachian Pennsylvania. METHODS In December 2006 and May 2007, all family medicine, pediatric,...

INTRODUCTION Although breast and cervical cancer screening rates have been increasing over the three past decades, many Appalachian women in the USA do not receive screening, leading to disproportionate mortality rates. The aims of this study were to: (1) better understand barriers to and facilitators of breast and cervical cancer screening among Appalachian women; and (2) identify strategies t...

Over the last three decades the fungus Discula destructiva Redlin has severely impacted Cornus florida L. (flowering dogwood— hereafter “dogwood”) populations throughout its range. This study estimates historical and current dogwood populations (number of trees) across the Appalachian ecoregion. Objectives were to (1) quantify current dogwood populations in the Appalachian ecoregion, (2) quanti...

INTRODUCTION Breastfeeding provides health benefits to infants and mothers, yet many women decide against breastfeeding. This study examined differences in the prevalence of breastfeeding among national, urban, rural, and Appalachian regions of the USA. METHODS Secondary data analysis of the US 2007 National Survey of Children's Health (n=27 388) data were completed for prevalence, insurance ...

OBJECTIVES We examined elevated mortality rates in Appalachian coal mining areas for 1979-2005, and estimated the corresponding value of statistical life (VSL) lost relative to the economic benefits of the coal mining industry. METHODS We compared age-adjusted mortality rates and socioeconomic conditions across four county groups: Appalachia with high levels of coal mining, Appalachia with lo...

INTRODUCTION Family history of certain chronic diseases is a risk factor for those diseases. We assessed demographic characteristics associated with familial risk for common diseases and whether familial risk was associated with intent to share family history with a health care provider among urban Appalachian women. METHODS Urban Appalachian women (N = 88) with less than a college education ...