Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2024
Advisor
Jeannette Manger
Abstract
Environmental exposures have known to be associated with poor health outcomes in adults, however there is scarce literature on which exposures that are county-specific influence health outcomes in the state of Ohio. There are known longitudinal effects of the environment on a person’s physical and mental health and demonstrated correlations could have the potential to improve health outcomes of those living in communities disproportionately impacted by environmental stressors. Through a retrospective review using County Health Rankings and the defined parameters of rurality, we looked at various measures of environmental exposures and living conditions and their effect on diabetes rates, chlamydia rates, and the number of poor physical and mental health days in each of Ohio’s rural and non-rural counties. Major findings with possible clinical implications from this study include a negative correlation between chlamydia rates and county rurality (Spearman’s ρ = -0.61), significant increases in severe housing rates(p = 0.012), daily average air pollution levels (p = 0.014), and chlamydia rates (p < 0.001, 95% CI for difference in means [68.46 - 170.53]).) in non-rural counties compared to their rural counterparts. Additionally, mental health was not found to be meaningfully different between the three county types. This review stresses the importance of providing greater environmental equity on a local and statewide level.
Repository Citation
Trzybinski, J., Griffith, D., & Johns, B. (2024). Associations Between the Lived Environment and Health Markers in Ohio Counties. Wright State University. Dayton, Ohio.
