Table 3.
Summary details of epidemiologic studies included in this systematic review.
| First Author | Year | Title | Publication | State | Study Type | Health Finding Category | Positive Associations | Null Associations | Level of Certainty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Busby [34] | 2017 | There’s a World Going on Underground—Infant Mortality and Fracking in Pennsylvania | Journal of Environmental Protection | Pennsylvania | Ecological | Birth outcomes | Early infant mortality | NA | Low (3) |
| Casey [35] | 2016 | Unconventional Natural Gas Development and Birth Outcomes in Pennsylvania, USA | Epidemiology | Pennsylvania | Retrospective cohort | Birth outcomes | Preterm birth and high-risk pregnancy a | Apgar score, small for gestational age, term birth weight | Moderate (9) |
| Casey [60] | 2018 | Associations of Unconventional Natural Gas Development with Depression Symptoms and Disordered Sleep in Pennsylvania | Scientific Reports | Pennsylvania | Case-control and cross-sectional | Self-reported symptoms and diagnoses | Depression symptoms (self-reported) | Disordered sleep (diagnoses) | Low (6) |
| Currie [36] | 2017 | Hydraulic Fracturing and Infant Health: New Evidence from Pennsylvania | Science Advances | Pennsylvania | Retrospective cohort | Birth outcomes | Low birth weight, decreased birth weight, decreased score on infant health index | NA | Low (5) |
| Elliott [52] | 2018 | A Community-based Evaluation of Proximity to Unconventional Oil and Gas Wells, Drinking Water Contaminants, and Health Symptoms in Ohio | Cross-sectional | Ohio | Cross-sectional | Self-reported symptoms | General symptoms (stress, fatigue, muscle or joint pain, any other self-reported health symptoms) | Respiratory, neurological b, dermal, gastrointestinal symptoms (self-reported) | Low (6) |
| Finkel [46] | 2016 | Shale Gas Development and Cancer Incidence in Southwest Pennsylvania | Public Health | Pennsylvania | Ecological | Cancer | Urinary bladder cancer | Thyroid cancer, leukemia | Low (2) |
| Fryzek [47] | 2013 | Childhood Cancer Incidence in Pennsylvania Counties in Relation to Living in Counties with Hydraulic Fracturing Sites | Journal of Environmental Medicine | Pennsylvania | Ecological | Cancer (child) | Central nervous system tumors | All childhood cancer incidence and leukemia | Low (2) |
| Hill [37] | 2018 | Unconventional Natural Gas Development and Infant Health: Evidence from Pennsylvania | Journal of Health Economics | Pennsylvania | Retrospective cohort | Birth outcomes | Low birth weight, decreased term birth weight, premature birth small for gestational age, Apgar score less than 8 | Gestation periods | Moderate (9) |
| Jemielita [53] | 2015 | Unconventional Gas and Oil Drilling is Associated with Increased Hospital Utilization Rates | PLOS ONE | Pennsylvania | Ecological | Hospitalizations | Cardiology and neurology hospitalizations | Hospitalizations for various medical categories, including pulmonary hospitalizations | Low (7) |
| Ma [33] | 2016 | Time Series Evaluation of Birth Defects in Areas with and without Unconventional Natural Gas Development | Journal of Epidemiology and Public Health Reviews | Pennsylvania | Interrupted time series | Birth defects | NA | Birth defects prevalence | Low (5) |
| McKenzie [32] | 2014 | Birth Outcomes and Maternal Residential Proximity to Natural Gas Development in Rural Colorado | Environmental Health Perspectives | Colorado | Retrospective cohort | Birth outcomes and birth defects | Congenital heart defects and neural tube defects | Oral clefts, preterm birth +, term low birth weight +, decreased term birth weight + | Low (6) |
| McKenzie [48] | 2017 | Childhood Hematologic Cancer and Residential Proximity to Oil and Gas Development | PLOS ONE | Colorado | Case-control | Cancer (child) | Childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia | Childhood non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma | Low (8) |
| Peng [54] | 2018 | The Health Implications of Unconventional Natural Gas Development in Pennsylvania | Health Economics | Pennsylvania | Ecological | Hospitalizations | Pneumonia hospitalizations | Hospitalizations for acute myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, upper respiratory infections | Low (6) |
| Rabinowitz [55] | 2015 | Proximity to Natural Gas Wells and Reported Health Status: Results of a Household Survey in Washington County, Pennsylvania | Environmental Health Perspectives | Pennsylvania | Cross-sectional | Self-reported symptoms | Dermal and upper respiratory symptoms (self-reported) | Lower respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, neurological symptoms (self-reported) | Low (7) |
| Rasmussen [56] | 2016 | Association Between Unconventional Natural Gas Development in the Marcellus Shale and Asthma Exacerbations | JAMA Intern Med. | Pennsylvania | Nested case-control | Respiratory diagnoses | Asthma exacerbations | NA | Moderate (8) |
| Stacy [38] | 2015 | Perinatal Outcomes and Unconventional Natural Gas Operations in Southwest Pennsylvania | PLOS ONE | Pennsylvania | Retrospective cohort | Birth outcomes | Decreased birth weight and small for gestational age | Premature birth+ | Moderate (8) |
| Steinzor [61] | 2013 | Investigating Links Between Shale Gas Development and Health Impacts Through a Community Survey Project in Pennsylvania | New Solutions | Pennsylvania | Cross-sectional | Self-reported symptoms | Throat irritation, sinus problems, nasal irritation, eye burning, persistent cough, frequent nose bleeds, loss of sense of smell, severe headaches, skin rashes, swollen painful joints symptoms (self-reported) | Joint pain, sleep disturbances, shortness of breath, forgetfulness, sleep disorders, feeling weak and tired, increased fatigue, lumbar pain, muscle aches or pain, diarrhea symptoms (self-reported) | Low (3) |
| Tustin [57] | 2016 | Associations between Unconventional Natural Gas Development and Nasal and Sinus, Migraine Headache, and Fatigue Symptoms in Pennsylvania | Environmental Health Perspectives | Pennsylvania | Cross-sectional | Self-reported symptoms | Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), migraine headache, and fatigue symptoms in combination (self-reported): CRS and fatigue, migraine headache and fatigue, and all three symptoms together | NA | Low (5) |
| Whitworth [39] | 2017 | Maternal Residential Proximity to Unconventional Gas Development and Perinatal Outcomes among a Diverse Urban Population in Texas | PLOS ONE | Texas | Retrospective cohort | Birth outcomes | Preterm birth and fetal death | Small for gestational age and term birth weight | Low (7) |
| Whitworth [40] | 2018 | Drilling and Production Activity Related to Unconventional Gas Development and Severity of Preterm Birth | Environmental Health Perspectives | Texas | Nested case-control | Birth outcomes | Preterm birth | NA | Low (9) |
NA = Not applicable (no result). + Denotes evidence of a significant negative relationship (i.e., with increasing exposure, poor health outcomes improved). a High risk pregnancy was an a priori conclusion and is not a direct effect and therefore was not included in a weight of evidence determination. b Elliot et al. defined the neurologic category to include symptoms of frequent headaches or migraines, dizziness or balance problems, feeling down, difficulties with concentration or memory, difficulty sleeping or insomnia, feeling anxious or nervous, and seizures. Some of these symptoms are traditionally categorized as psychological.