Document Type

Report

Publisher

Utah State University

Publication Date

10-2025

First Page

1

Last Page

3

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Abstract

Air pollution poses a significant threat to Utahns’ health, shortening Utahns’ life expectancy by two years (1). Air pollution can cause and worsen many illnesses and conditions (1). Individuals’ perceptions of how susceptible they are to health risks related to air pollution and how severe these risks are for them vary across demographic characteristics. This study investigated demographic differences in Utahns’ perceptions of health risks related to air pollution in the state. Specifically, we examined differences in how Utahns perceive risk based on their political identity, gender, education level, geographic location, and disability status. Understanding how people perceive risk across demographics can help public health practitioners and legislators craft effective strategic messaging and policies that enable Utahns to appropriately understand the health risks associated with air pollution and enact recommended behaviors that can mitigate these risks.

Comments

Funding Source: USU College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHaSS), the USU Mountain West Center for Regional Studies, and Made by Fell

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