Non-traditional data sources in obesity research: a systematic review of their use in the study of obesogenic environments

The study investigates the role of non-traditional data sources in researching obesogenic environments, which contribute to obesity. The researchers conducted a systematic search and analyzed 53 relevant studies. They found that most studies were from high-income countries and utilized geospatial data, social networks, and digital devices as data sources. Geospatial data was primarily used to study the physical aspects of obesogenic environments, while social networks provided insights into the sociocultural domain. However, there was a lack of research on the political dimension of obesogenic environments. The study suggests leveraging artificial intelligence tools and internet-based information to enhance understanding of the political and economic factors in obesity research.