Utahns See Air Quality as a Problem, But Don't Feel They Can Do Much About It

Authors

Sydney O'Shay, Utah State UniversityFollow
Cris Meier, Utah State UniversityFollow
Bailey Hughlett, Utah State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Report

Publisher

Utah State University

Publication Date

11-2023

First Page

1

Last Page

3

Creative Commons License

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

Abstract

Air pollution is associated with 6.7 million premature deaths worldwide each year. Air pollution shortens Utahns’ life expectancy by two years, costs Utah’s economy $1.8 billion annually, and can cause and worsen many illnesses and conditions. Several factors play a role in people’s decisions or ability to act to reduce the harms of air pollution. This study investigated Utahns’ perception of risk around air pollution, confidence to enact behaviors to protect themselves against the effects of air pollution, and the actual protective behaviors in which they are engaging. Understanding how Utahn’s think about these factors is key for developing strategic messaging that will effectively encourage Utahns to act in response to air pollution.

Comments

Funding Sources: USU College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHaSS), the USU Mountain West Center for Regional Studies, and from CHaSS Alumni, Jorrien & Tiera Peterson, and their company Made by Fell

Recommended Citation

O’Shay, Sydney, Cris Meier, and Bailey Hughlett. 2023. “Utahns See Air Quality as a Problem, But Don’t Feel They Can Do Much About It.” Research Brief # 2023-4. Utah People and Environment Poll.