The Universal Neighborhood Effect Averaging in Mobility-Dependent Environmental Exposures

The neighborhood effect averaging problem (NEAP) is a fundamental statistical phenomenon in mobility-dependent environmental exposures. It suggests that individual environmental exposures tend toward the average exposure in the study area when considering human mobility. However, the universality of the NEAP across various environmental exposures and the mechanisms underlying its occurrence remain unclear. Here, using a large human mobility data set of more than 27 000 individuals in the Chicago Metropolitan Area, we provide robust evidence of the existence of the NEAP in a range of individual environmental exposures, including green spaces, air pollution, healthy food environments, transit accessibility, and crime rates. We also unveil the social and spatial disparities in the NEAP’s influence on individual environmental exposure estimates. To further reveal the mechanisms behind the NEAP, we perform multiscenario analyses based on environmental variation and human mobility simulations. The results reveal that the NEAP is a statistical phenomenon of regression to the mean (RTM) under the constraints of spatial autocorrelation in environmental data. Increasing travel distances and out-of-home durations can intensify and promote the NEAP’s impact, particularly for highly dynamic environmental factors like air pollution. These findings illuminate the complex interplay between human mobility and environmental factors, guiding more effective public health interventions.