Smartphone data is proving to be a valuable tool for predicting potential diet-related diseases based on an individual’s proximity to fast food locations, according to a recent study. The study, conducted researchers from the University of Southern California (USC), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sabancı University in Turkey, and LA County Department of Public Health, found significant correlations between the consumption of fast food and the number of visits to fast food outlets in a particular area, as tracked through smartphone mobility data.
The study, spearheaded USC’s Information Sciences Institute lead scientist Abigail Horn, also identified fast food visits as a strong predictor of obesity and diabetes. Interestingly, the data from smartphone mobility is said to be as accurate, if not more so, than self-reported fast food consumption when assessing diet-related health risks. This suggests that other factors like daily commuting and the locations an individual visits throughout the day play crucial roles in the risk of diet-related diseases.
According to Horn, this research builds on existing studies that have long established a link between low access to healthy food sources and undesirable lifestyle choices. In the past decade, more than a billion dollars have been invested in public health initiatives, including home meal situations, yet diet-related illnesses continue to persist. The study underscores the need for a more nuanced understanding of how environment and personal mobility impact diet-related diseases.
The use of smartphone mobility data, often utilized for advertising purposes, has provided a more accurate picture of fast food proximity and its effect on individuals’ health. As such, it is clear that these findings carry significant weight in potentially addressing and combating diet-related health risks.
It’s clear from the research commissioned Interesting Engineering that smartphone data offers unique insights into an individual’s fast food exposure, and extension, their inherent risk of diet-related diseases.