A closer look at outdoor air pollution and health

Overview

Clean air and water, safe places to walk outside and access to healthy food are examples of conditions in the physical environment that affect the health and well-being of Ohioans. Outdoor air quality is included in the Health Value Dashboard™, where Ohio ranked 46th on this metric, meaning that most other states have cleaner outdoor air. State and local leaders can do more to improve air quality in Ohio through policy change.

This policy brief focuses on the importance of clean air and provides 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 be improved in Ohio

3 key findings for policymakers

• Improving outdoor air quality will lead to better maternal and infant health, less chronic disease and other improved outcomes for Ohioans.
• Ohio has implemented policies that both advance and harm efforts to reduce pollution and improve air quality.
• Policymakers have opportunities to improve air quality through policy changes in the transportation, energy and regional planning sectors.

Figure 1. The effect of physical environment on population health

More resources

• Connections between water quality and health (March 2024)
• Click here for all 2021 Health Value Dashboard resources and material
• Facts & Figures (PowerPoint with data graphics from the report for public use)