Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

May 8, 2020

Quantifying the Social Distancing Privilege Gap: a Longitudinal Study of Smartphone Movement

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  • Using location data from more than 65 million mobile device traces, researchers explored associations between declines in mobility and various healthcare and economic indicators. They observed strong linear gradients in privilege, such that counties in the highest quintile of social distancing mobility restriction had 52% fewer uninsured, 47% more primary care providers, 29% more exercise space, 27% lower food insecurity, 26% less child poverty, and 17% higher incomes compared to least social distancing areas. 
  • Communities with higher privilege before the pandemic likely have more ability to practice social distancing. Awareness of these systemic constraints should inform the next phase of interventions and allocations of resources to ensure equity. 

Dasgupta et al. (May 8, 2020). Quantifying the Social Distancing Privilege Gap: a Longitudinal Study of Smartphone Movement. Pre-print downloaded May 8 from https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.05.03.20084624