Pre- and post-move exposure to air pollution and neighborhood socioeconomic status

Chelsea Liu, Department of Epidemiology, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA. Electronic address: chelsea.liu@uth.tmc.edu.
Erin E. Bennett, Department of Epidemiology, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA. Electronic address: erinbennett@gwu.edu.
Katie M. Lynch, Department of Epidemiology, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA. Electronic address: kmlynch@gwu.edu.
Xiaohui Xu, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Public Health, College Station, TX, USA. Electronic address: xiaohui.xu@tamu.edu.
Eun Sug Park, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, College Station, TX, USA. Electronic address: e-park@tti.tamu.edu.
Qi Ying, Zachry Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
Richard L. Smith, Department of Statistics and Operations Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Electronic address: rls@email.unc.edu.
James D. Stewart, Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Electronic address: j.stewart@unc.edu.
Eric A. Whitsel, Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Electronic address: eric_whitsel@med.unc.edu.
Joel D. Kaufman, Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, Medicine, and Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. Electronic address: joelk@uw.edu.
Emma K. Stapp, Department of Epidemiology, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA. Electronic address: emma.stapp@gwu.edu.
Melinda C. Power, Department of Epidemiology, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA. Electronic address: power@gwu.edu.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

11-15-2025

Journal

The Science of the total environment

Volume

1004

DOI

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180749

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Nearly 10 % of the U.S. population moves in a given year. We aimed to examine differences in neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES) and ambient air pollution concentrations before and after a residential move, whether change varies by distance of the move, and whether moving is a potential source of bias in estimating relationships between contextual exposures and outcomes. METHODS: We used data from participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study with geocoded addresses at Visit 2 (Visit 2; 1990-1992) and Visit 3 (Visit 3; 1993-1995). We quantified nSES using the 1990 census and estimated concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM), ozone (O) and nitrogen dioxide (NO). We defined short-distance and long-distance movers as having moved less and more than the median move distance of 4.3 miles, respectively. We quantified Visits 2 to 3 change in nSES and air pollution for short and long-distance movers, examined change in air pollution after accounting for temporal trends, and conducted a quantitative bias analysis to estimate the bias introduced by not accounting for moving in example studies of PM and health. RESULTS: On average, compared to non-movers, short-distance movers relocated to neighborhoods with better nSES and similar air pollution concentrations, while long-distance movers relocated to neighborhoods with worse nSES but lower exposure to air pollution. The quantitative bias analysis suggested there was little to no bias in the PM-health relationship from not accounting for relocation, likely due to relatively little overall difference in PM exposures observed with relocation. CONCLUSIONS: Change in nSES and air pollution with a residential move differs by move distance. However, not accounting for relocation may not lead to significant bias in the relationship with the health outcome. Understanding the extent to which contextual exposures change after a move can clarify whether accounting for bias due to relocation is necessary.

Department

Epidemiology

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