Could Facebook Assist Public Health Efforts to Track Obesity? Hispanically Speaking News
go to original May 1, 2013

Analyzing Facebook users’ interests could help public health researchers predict, track and map obesity rates in specific cities, towns and neighborhoods across the United States, a new study says.

This type of information could be used to design targeted online programs meant to reduce obesity rates in specific locations, the researchers said.

They analyzed data about the interests of Facebook users nationally and in New York City and compared that with data from a national health survey and another survey conducted in New York City.

Areas with higher percentages of people with interests linked to a healthy, active lifestyle tend to have lower obesity rates, while areas with greater percentages of people with TV-related interests tend to have higher rates of obesity, according to the study, which was published April 24 in the journal PLoS ONE.

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