Residential Proximity, Duration, and Health-Related Quality of Life: Insights from the Fernald Cohort

The impact of living near environmental contamination on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is not well understood. This study examined the impacts of the residential proximity (RP) and time spent near a former Department of Energy uranium processing facility (located in Fernald, Ohio) on the surrounding community’s HRQoL outcomes. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using the data collected from participants using the Short Form-36 survey at the time of the enrollment in the Fernald Medical Monitoring Program ( n = 7957). Mental and physical component summary scores (MCS and PCS, respectively) were computed for each participant. The scores were compared among the cohort participants, stratified by the RP to the facility and to the U.S. general population. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to identify associations between the RP from the facility, duration at residence, participant characteristics, and HRQoL. The adults and minors at enrollment (MAEs) living within two miles of the facility reported slightly lower MCS scores compared to those of residents who lived >2 miles from the facility, after controlling for confounding variables (adults: marginal effect (ME): −0.553, p -value: 0.002, MAEs: ME: −1.594, p -value: 0.040). The RP had a significant association with PCS scores among adults but not with the MAEs (adults: ME: −0.456, p -value: 0.010). No significant relationship was observed between the duration at residence and HRQoL. Considering the association between the RP and HRQoL in the Fernald cohort, integrating a health perception screening tool into community healthcare practices would benefit residents near environmentally contaminated sites to capture the variable nature of perceived health over time.