Graphic of the week

New analysis from the Health Policy Institute of Ohio has found air quality across the country, including Ohio, has improved in recent years because of federal policy changes, such as the Clean Air Act. Ohio’s air quality is now better than the U.S., although the state still has room to improve to ensure that Ohioans are breathing clean air. While much of this improvement results from federal legislation, state and local policymakers have a role to play in improving air quality in the state.
 
The analysis will be included in a new Health Value Dashboard spin-off brief that HPIO plans to release next month. The brief will take a closer look at the link between outdoor air quality and health and provide additional information on the outdoor air quality metric in the Dashboard, including how:

• Air pollution affects health outcomes
• Recent policy changes may affect air pollution
• Outdoor air quality can improve in Ohio 

UPDATED (01.13.2023): Since the publication of this graphic by HPIO, the source updated data for air quality from 2018-2020, which altered the Ohio and US values. Updated data can be found on the America's Health Ranking website. An updated version of the graphic is included in HPIO's January 2023 policy brief Health Value Dashboard: A Closer Look at Outdoor Air Pollution and Health.