In this issue, discover how where you eat affects what you eat, learn how to gauge the trustworthiness of political polls and find out how L.A.’s original inhabitants can teach us about sustainability. 

Food choices are primarily shaped by the food environments people encounter during their daily activities, rather than the options available near their homes, according to new research.

Why it matters: Poor diets are a leading cause of illness and death, and research suggests exposure to environments saturated with fast-food outlets makes choosing healthy foods harder.

What’s new: A new study suggests that improving Americans’ diets requires focusing on foods they consume outside their home neighborhoods and ensuring healthy options are available.

How it works: Using anonymized smart phone data (i.e., “mobility data”), the researchers examined more than 60 million visits to food outlets in 11 American cities over 6 months.

The findings: The more fast-food outlets people encounter during the day, the more likely they are to visit one.

The big picture: Past efforts to address nutrition insecurity concentrated on “food deserts” — areas lacking access to healthy, reasonably priced food — and “food swamps,” areas with an abundance of fast-food.

In her words: “Even when people want to eat healthy, there are too many things in their day-to-day lives and environments that make it hard,” said Kayla de la Haye, founding director of the Institute for Food System Equity at the USC Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research. “Now we’re gaining a more comprehensive understanding of how food environments affect diet beyond the home.”

The solution: The researchers recommend that policymakers who want to improve food environments use mobility data to identify where fast food is more prevalent than healthier food and where food decisions are most susceptible to the food environment.

Missed predictions from presidential election polls conducted in 2016 and 2020 left many Americans skeptical of the entire polling industry, but there are ways to distinguish good polls from bad.

Why it matters: Determining the reliability of polls is essential to preventing the spread of misinformation, which can distort public opinion and influence decision-making.

The strength of a poll depends on when it is done.

In her words: “When you’re thinking about calling races … one must consider not just how people describe their vote choice in the moment, but whether or not they are likely to turn out,” explains Jane Junn of political science and international relations (POIR).

Watch out: There are two types of problematic polls to beware of: fake polls and biased internal campaign polls, according to Christian Grose of POIR.

Traditional polling methods, like telephone and in-person interviews, have declined due to increased costs and logistical challenges.

What to watch: The “social circle” polling methodology, developed by USC Dornsife's Center for Economic and Social Research, solicits respondents’ insights on the voting intentions of their friends, family and acquaintances to enhance polling accuracy.

USC Dornsife researchers are reviving and studying Indigenous sustainable practices and maritime heritage.

The Tongva tribe, Los Angeles’ original inhabitants, lost many of their traditions, including sustainable living practices that could be beneficial today, when Spanish settlers moved in.

Why it matters: Preserving Native American traditions and raising awareness of Indigenous ecological knowledge could help safeguard oceans and foster sustainability, especially as the planet confronts climate change.

Archaeologist Lynn Dodd of religion and spatial sciences secured a $50,000 Library of Congress grant supporting a collaboration between USC scholars and the Ti’at Society, a group reviving Tongva maritime practices by restoring a traditional canoe called a “ti’at.”

What to watch: The AltaSea-Tongva partnership connects the Indigenous practice of kelp forest cultivation to the research Professor of Biological Sciences Sergey Nuzhdin conducts at his AltaSea-based aquaculture lab.

Need an updated professional portrait for the USC Dornsife directory or your own personal use? Faculty and staff are invited to use the USC Career Center’s new, professional-quality Iris photo booth during daily drop-in hours Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. in Student Union (STU) 110.

See a screening of Aurora’s Sunrise, an animated film about an Armenian genocide survivor’s journey to stardom, followed by a panel discussion with the director.

Learn about USC’s sustainability efforts and find out how you can help the university achieve its sustainability goals.

Join this online event celebrating the Center for Advanced Genocide Research’s 10th anniversary and featuring an overview of the center and remarks by former fellows and visiting scholars.

Sign-up to receive NewsRound, a weekly listing of news stories featuring USC Dornsife scholars.

“In such neighborhoods, an orange can cost more than a soda, highlighting the disparities in accessing affordable, nutritious food.”

CalMatters published an op-ed by Sarah Portnoy of Spanish titled “Many Californians rely on this farmers market program. Newsom wants to cut it.”

“[China] still very much cares about shaping perceptions of China and the Chinese Communist party.”

The Guardian interviewed Audrye Wong of political science and international relations for the article “Western governments struggle to coordinate response to Chinese hacking.”

“All the Underground Railroad stations were in the northern free states. People escaping to Mexico had to get through Texas first, which was a slave state.”

The Baltimore Sun quoted Alice Baumgartner in the article “‘Mexodus,’ a world premiere musical at Center Stage, explores the Underground Railroad running south to Mexico.”

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