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In a study led by the University of 911爆料网, researchers found nutritional disadvantage is concentrated in low-income and minority communities, even in areas where stores are nearby.

鈥淔ood deserts refer to areas where residents are unable to access a nutritious diet, where barriers to obtaining healthy foods are thought to underpin dietary behaviour,鈥� says Tayla Broadbridge, from the University鈥檚 School of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, who led the study.

鈥淧revious attempts to identify food deserts have relied on assumptions about the relationships between store locations, sociodemographic factors, and access to healthy food.

鈥淭hese methods typically classify areas as food deserts without any direct, quantitative link to food purchase data or dietary patterns.

鈥淭reating food access as only a store distribution problem ignores critical factors such as cultural and economic landscapes that shape residents鈥� urban life and mobility, and, consequently, their shopping behaviour.

鈥淥ur study demonstrates that analysing the relationship between food purchasing patterns and sociodemographic factors can identify food deserts that aren鈥檛 picked up by other methods, as well as the factors that drive them.鈥�

Tayla, who also holds a position in the School of Mathematics at the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, completed her study by using food purchase records from London locations of the British multinational grocery chain, Tesco.

鈥淲e analysed supermarket-transaction data from 1.6 million London customers and identified neighbourhoods where residents鈥� purchases follow a nutrient-deficient pattern, highlighting areas that are characteristic of food deserts,鈥� says Tayla.

鈥淥ur model identified several areas in London鈥檚 east, such as Newham, Barking, and Dagenham, and some areas of London鈥檚 northwest, such as Ealing and Brent, which adhered to high-sugar and high-carbohydrate purchases, suggesting residents in these areas are not accessing a nutritionally adequate diet.鈥�

Though Tayla鈥檚 model identified that nutrient deficient purchasing is associated with household income and minority ethnic communities, the influence of these factors varies across the city.

鈥淭hese spatial differences in associations may reflect a combination of socioeconomic conditions, local food retail environments, or varying food preference,鈥� says Tayla, whose study was published in .

鈥淭he strong variation in these relationships across London鈥檚 neighbourhoods highlights the need for locally tailored, culturally sensitive strategies to improve access to healthy food.

鈥淔urther work with local experts is needed to better understand these context-specific relationships and to develop area-specific, context-sensitive interventions as part of local public health strategies.鈥�

While this study focused on Tesco purchases in London, Tayla says it could be replicated in other contexts, including Australia.

鈥淭his study moves beyond the reliance on sociodemographic and environment characteristics alone when identifying food deserts,鈥� Tayla says.

鈥淎pplied in Australia, our method could use loyalty card data from major grocery retailers such as Woolworths or Coles to show where nutritional disadvantage is most concentrated, and how it relates to local sociodemographic factors.

鈥淭his will help local councils and communities target support where it鈥檚 needed most.鈥�