Living Near Contamination
The Impacts on Personal Well-Being
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7147349 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sara Burcham (0000-0002-0976-8425, University of Cincinnati, corresponding author), Wei-Wen Hsu (0000-0002-8554-1265), Wei‐wen Hsu (0000-0002-7822-0826, University of Cincinnati Medical Center), Jack Rubinstein (0000-0002-8811-1551, University of Cincinnati Medical Center), Sharon L Larson, Sharon Larson (0000-0001-5625-8500, Thomas Jefferson University), Susan M Pinney (0000-0003-3491-1980, University of Cincinnati) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 1419-1441 |
| Publication date | 2025-08-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Applied Research in Quality of Life (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1871-2576 • E-ISSN: 1871-2584 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s11482-025-10456-8 |
| PMID | 41018538 |
| OpenAlex | W4411237959 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 60 |
The impact of residential proximity (RP) to EPA-designated Superfund sites on personal well-being remains understudied. This study evaluated the well-being of residents living near a former uranium processing facility in Fernald, Ohio, now a Superfund site, which emitted significant amounts of radioactive hazardous waste. Baseline data were collected from 7,957 participants who voluntarily enrolled in the Fernald Community Cohort. Participants completed the Health Risk Appraisal (HRA), which assessed four well-being indicators: Life Satisfaction, Life in Control, Life Perspective, and Overall Physical Health. Separate multivariable ordinal logistic regression models were used to evaluate the cross-sectional relationship between RP and well-being outcomes. The results indicated that residents living within a 1-mile radius of the Superfund site had 38% greater odds of reporting lower Life Satisfaction compared to those residing 4–5 miles away [OR 1.38, 95% CI: 1.17, 1.64]. In the fully adjusted models, other significant risk factors emerged. Participants who reported two or more recent misfortunes in the past year were more likely to report a negative Life Perspective [OR 2.79, 95% CI: 2.36, 3.32]. Additionally, those with a weakened social ties had significantly higher odds of reporting diminished Life Satisfaction [OR 5.16, 95% CI: 4.33, 6.16]. This study identified RP to a Superfund site and psychosocial characteristics as significant predictors of well-being. Given the global prevalence of contaminated sites, particularly in socioeconomically disadvantaged regions, further investigation into their impact on local communities is essential
Biology · Contamination · Public health · Quality of Life Research · Environmental Justice and Health Disparities · Environmental Science · Radioactivity and Radon Measurements · Risk Perception and Management · Ecology
Understanding subjective well-being
Environmental Stress
Nonpermanent Residents, Place Attachment, and “Sea Change” Communities
Regression Models for Ordinal Data
A systematic review of physical activity and quality of life and well-being
How Many Imputations are Really Needed? Some Practical Clarifications of Multiple Imputation Theory
The Risk Perception Paradox—Implications for Governance and Communication of Natural Hazards
Communicating Environmental Risk in Multiethnic Communities
The Protective Action Decision Model
Why Study Risk Perception
Private Values of Risk Tradeoffs at Superfund Sites
Why Mental Illness Diagnoses Are Wrong
Environmental Health Risk Perception
Perceptions of environmental health risks among residents in the “Toxic Doughnut”
Adverse childhood experiences and impact on quality of life in adulthood
Environment and happiness
Chronic environmental contamination
Critical Biological Pathways for Chronic Psychosocial Stress and Research Opportunities to Advance the Consideration of Stress in Chemical Risk Assessment
The accuracy of health risk appraisal in predicting mortality
The reliability of health risk appraisals
Comparing the predictive accuracy of health risk appraisal
Close social ties and health in later life
Predictors of Quality of Life in Different Age Groups Across Adulthood
Toxic Waste and Race in Twenty-First Century America
Social Relationships and Health
Gender, Race, and Perceived Environmental Risk
Quality of Life Predictors and Normative Data
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |