DURHAM, N.C. (WFMY) — A new study from Duke Health shows North Carolinians who live near large hog farms have higher disease and death rates than those who live farther away.
The findings were unable to definitely prove hog farms cause higher risks of disease and death, researchers said, but do point to potential health risks that warrant attention and action.
Published Sept. 18 in the North Carolina Medical Journal, the study compared health outcomes between North Carolina communities without hog concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and southeastern North Carolina communities located in zip codes with swine concentration as high as 215 animals per square kilometer or higher.
Researchers say life expectancy in North Carolina communities near hog CAFOs remains low, even after adjusting for socioeconomic factors known to affect people's health and lifespan.
The study analyzed disease-specific death rates, hospital admissions and emergency department usage, adjusting by demographic characteristics; median household income; education level; insurance coverage; smoking prevalence; and the number of primary care physicians.
According to the study, health conditions associated with CAFOs included amenia, kidney disease, septicemia, tuberculosis, infant mortality and low birth weight among newborns.
"Although we cannot establish causality with specific exposures from hog CAFOSs," said Dr. Julia Kravchenko, "our findings suggest research is needed to determine to what extent environmental factors contribute to worse health outcomes."
Kravchenko proposed a few solutions: Improve access to medical resources, including diseases screenings and early diagnosis; and interventions for conditions that affect infant mortality and low birth weight.