Assessment of sociodemographic disparities in environmental exposure might be erroneous due to neighborhood effect averaging: Implications for environmental inequality research

The neighborhood effect averaging problem (NEAP) is a major methodological that might affect the accuracy of assessments individual exposure to mobility-dependent environmental factors (e.g., air/noise pollution, green/blue spaces, or healthy food environments). Focusing on outdoor ground-level ozone as air pollutant, this paper examines NEAP in evaluation sociodemographic disparities people’s pollution exposures Los Angeles using one-day activity-travel diary data 3790 individuals. It addresses two questions: (1) How does exposures? (2) Which social groups with high residence-based do not experience averaging? results our spatial regression models indicate be erroneous when daily mobility ignored because different manifestations for social/racial groups. autologistic model reveal non-workers unemployed, homemakers, retired, and students) downward averaging: they have significantly lower odds experiencing could attenuated their experienced residential neighborhoods while traveling other (thus, being doubly disadvantaged). Therefore, avoid conclusions inequality research ineffective public policies, it would critical take into account future studies related factors.