Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 23, 2026
08:25
Combining Eye-tracking Data with an Analysis of Video Content from Free-viewing a Video of a Walk in an Urban Park Environment
Published on: May 7, 2019
9.7K
Are Food Deserts Also Play Deserts?
Deborah A Cohen1, Gerald Hunter2,3, Stephanie Williamson2
1RAND Corporation, 1776 Main St, Santa Monica, CA, 90407, USA. dcohen@rand.org.
Summary
Food deserts, areas with limited food access, have underutilized parks. Improving park programming and amenities could boost physical activity for residents, especially seniors.
Area of Science:
- Urban planning
- Public health
- Environmental psychology
Background:
- Food deserts present barriers to healthy eating and weight management.
- Older urban areas, often food deserts, possess infrastructure conducive to physical activity.
- Barriers to facility use may exist despite accessible infrastructure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess park utilization in Pittsburgh food desert neighborhoods.
- To identify factors influencing park use among residents.
- To inform strategies for enhancing park accessibility and engagement.
Main Methods:
- Systematic observation of park usage.
- Resident surveys on park perceptions and barriers.
- Analysis of park accessibility and utilization patterns.
Main Results:
- Parks in studied food deserts were accessible but underutilized.
- Most residents did not perceive parks as unsafe during the day.
- Health limitations and lack of programming/amenities were significant barriers.
Conclusions:
- Accessible parks in food deserts are underused.
- Addressing resident needs, health limitations, and preferences for programming is crucial.
- Enhancing park facilities and offerings can promote physical activity in underserved urban areas.
Related Concept Videos
00:48Optimal Foraging
14.2K
How animals obtain and eat their food is called foraging behavior. Foraging can include searching for plants and hunting for prey and depends on the species and environment.
14.2K
01:20Taste Buds and Receptors
5.8K
Gustation, or the sense of taste, is intrinsically linked to the anatomical structures located on the tongue. This organ's surface, along with the entirety of the oral cavity, is adorned with stratified squamous epithelium. Evident on the tongue are elevated structures known as papillae (singular = papilla), which house the mechanisms for the transduction of gustatory stimuli. Four distinct types of papillae exist, each identified by their unique morphological attributes: the circumvallate,...
5.8K
01:23Dietary Connections
64.6K
In biological systems, most metabolic pathways are interconnected. The cellular respiration processes that convert glucose to ATP—such as glycolysis, pyruvate oxidation, and the citric acid cycle—tie into those that break down other organic compounds. As a result, various foods—from apples to cheese to guacamole—end up as ATP. In addition to carbohydrates, food also contains proteins and lipids—such as cholesterol and fats. All of these organic compounds are used...
64.6K
01:06Fats as Energy Storage Molecules
27.4K
Triglycerides are a form of long-term energy storage molecules. They are made of glycerol and three fatty acids. To obtain energy from fat, triglycerides must first be broken down by hydrolysis into their two principal components, fatty acids and glycerol. This process, called lipolysis, takes place in the cytoplasm. The resulting fatty acids are oxidized by β-oxidation into acetyl-CoA, which is used by the Krebs cycle. The glycerol that is released from triglycerides after lipolysis...
27.4K
02:31Habitat Fragmentation
21.8K
Habitat fragmentation describes the division of a more extensive, continuous habitat into smaller, discontinuous areas. Human activities such as land conversion, as well as slower geological processes leading to changes in the physical environment, are the two leading causes of habitat fragmentation. The fragmentation process typically follows the same steps: perforation, dissection, fragmentation, shrinkage, and attrition.
21.8K
02:02Ecological Niches
27.3K
All organisms have a position within an ecosystem. The complete set of living and nonliving factors—including food resources, climate, and terrain—that define the position of a given organism are collectively referred to as the organism’s ecological niche.
27.3K