Asthma and Air Quality
Asthma and air quality are related. Although the region’s unhealthy ozone days have fallen 41% since 2000, the region contains some of the most polluted air. According to the American Lung Association, the Bay Area–Stockton metro area ranked eighth in the nation for particulate mater in 2016. More than 27% of San Joaquin County Community Health Needs Assessment survey respondents reported breathing problems as a top community health concern, and 39% or respondents cited air pollution as a major environmental concern.
As this graph shows, the percentage of children age 1–17 whose parents report an asthma diagnosis is almost 20% higher than that of California. And San Joaquin County adult asthma diagnoses are 7% higher than California.
For more resources on San Joaquin Valley's air quality, check out SJCOG's Air Quality Conformity Program here.