WVPB: Communities with culture of volunteerism may be healthier

BY ROXY TODD FOR WV PUBLIC BROADCASTING

Seven of the leading causes of death are higher in Appalachia compared with the nation as a whole. But amid that grim news, there’s some diversity in these statistics.

When researchers analyzed all 420 counties in Appalachia, they found that 42 outperformed their statistical odds. A team of researchers has been studying why these communities are outliers. In all of the communities that researchers studied, a culture of sharing and volunteering were found to be essential in helping to improve health outcomes.

They called them “Bright Spots.”

Elizabeth, West Virginia, is one of them…

Read the story on the WV Public Broadcasting site »