2023 Projects
Integrating Administrative Data into UK Travel and Tourism Statistics
Keeping count of every passenger who enters and exits the UK is both a time and cost intensive task undertaken by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This article explores how the ONS' survey methodology could be replaced using alterative data sources to generate the same statistics.
This work is part of a joint project between the University of Leeds and the Office for National Statistics (ONS), with the goal of discontinuing the annual International Passenger Survey (IPS), which gathers travel and tourism statistics. Instead, the same information would be collected through alternative data sources as well as statistical and machine learning methods.
Aditi Sudhakar
Does food insecurity lead to greater health inequalities in Oxfordshire?
Modelling the spatial relationship between food insecurity risk and health outcomes in Oxfordshire could save the NHS billions from the £30 billion it is expected to spend annually on obesity and malnutrition by 2050.
Food insecurity is a growing concern in the UK and one that around 9 million adults suffered from last June (2023). Food insecurity, which could lead to both obesity and malnutrition, is also a major driver of health inequalities and a risk factor for severe health outcomes (diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart disease, and several cancers).
Ahmad Ammash
Perceptions of Covid Safety Measures in Guest Reviews from AirDNA Data
The Hospitality sector in the UK was one of the worst hit by the pandemic with tourist accommodation hosts recording up to 20% declines in profits at the height of the pandemic. As such, the UK government introduced a hospitality strategy to revive the industry to its pre-pandemic glory.
Working in line with this strategy, this project classifies hosts and properties with the aim of re-building guest confidence and increasing host compliance with policy.
Favour Aghaebe
Realtime Wildfire Risk Mapping
Wildfires are recognised as an increasing risk to natural ecosystems, property, and human lives. The objective of this project was to develop an online risk mapping tool to assist West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS).
The tool was developed using a case study covering Marsden Moor in the Peak District by employing various topographic, meteorological, and geological factors that influence wildfire spread.
Abdelrahma Ibrahim (Hegazy)
Observing Consumer Online Word of Mouth On Social Media Under Scarcity
Investigating the online discourse around financial hardship and product shortages on social media, our research aims to reveal the nuanced ways the cost-of-living crisis and supply chain disruptions affect public sentiment and well-being, highlighting a need for targeted interventions to support those most vulnerable.
This project seeks to find solutions to alleviate these adverse effects by analysing the evolution of discourse around financial and product scarcity on social media.
Liam Bailey
Spotting high-risk job ads on social media to mitigate labour exploitation
Millions of individuals worldwide are subjected to exploitative labour practices, highlighting the urgency of addressing modern slavery.
This project focuses on intervention at the recruitment stage, where deceptive job advertisements often proliferate unchecked.
We adopt a machine learning approach to identify high-risk online job adverts which may potentially lead to labour exploitation.
Preeti Sharma
Incorporating geospatial climate data into statistical models of transport
Extreme weather conditions are some of the leading causes of disruption to transport networks, causing delay incidents and damage to infrastructure on roads and railways.
In the contexts of increasing utilisation and congestion of transport networks, as well as climate change, which is expected to drive an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme weather conditions, the ability to understand and accurately predict such incidents is increasingly important.
Toluwani Osabiya
School absence and Not in Education, Employment or Training
The team investigated the association between school absence (6-16 years of age) and risk of being Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) (16-18years of age) using records provided by the Department for Education. Persistent absence was associated with 3.9 times greater risk of being NEET and 6.3 times greater risk of being persistently NEET.
Emily Connell
Can we predict loneliness?
The loneliness epidemic has emerged as a widespread and debilitating issue, affecting thousands of individuals and contributing to poor mental health and related physical symptoms. This article explores whether it is possible to predict the risk of severe loneliness in individuals, enabling early intervention and support to those in need.
This work explores the precursors of loneliness and investigates the potential to predict severe loneliness by analysing socio-economic and physical health factors. Although loneliness is not objectively measured, it is closely linked to various serious health and neurological disorders with physical implications.
Aditi Sudhakar
Understanding the rise of vegetarianism
This study demonstrates the potential of microsimulation modelling as a powerful tool for capturing the complex social and demographic factors shaping meat consumption in England.
High levels of meat consumption pose significant health risks, including increased incidence of chronic diseases, and major environmental concerns such as greenhouse gas emissions. Efforts to reduce meat intake have seen limited success, often overlooking the impact of social factors such as peer influence, cultural contexts, and lifestyle behaviours.
Emily Connell
Developing eco-labelling for food sold on campus
Can the probabilistic mathematics underpinning the hydrogen bomb aid us in creating accurate environmental impact labels for food consumed on campus?
Food production significantly influences global environmental degradation and climate change, contributing to an estimated 35% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in the UK. However, most studies on food's environmental footprints focus on GHGs and home consumption, neglecting other impacts and settings.
Recognising and mitigating environmental challenges through its Environmental Policy, Sustainability Strategy and Environmental Management System, the University of Leeds is committed to becoming a net-zero organisation by 2030.
Lydia Wharton
Exact methods to study dynamical processes on real-world networks
Real-world networks are messy and complex. They typically have a large numbers of nodes (vertices) and links (edges), high connectivity and intricate structures. Some of these networks are also dynamic, with states that change over time.
Being able to directly evaluate real-world networks allows us to understand the systems they represent, such as the behaviour of ecosystems, the dynamics of social networks, or the spread of disease through a population.
This project is a visual and interactive implementation of a method developed by Dr. Jonathan Ward, described in “Dimension-reduction of dynamics on real-world networks with symmetry", Proceedings of the Royal Society A, 2021.
Preeti Sharma
Socio-Economic Patterns of Household Waste Generation
Urbanization, driven by industrialization and migration to cities, presents significant challenges, particularly in waste management. Rapid increases in municipal solid waste, projected to double globally by 2025 (UN Habitat, 2019), highlight the urgency of addressing this issue.
In the UK, approximately 10.7 million tonnes of food waste are produced annually, with households contributing over 60% of this figure (Xameerah et al., 2024). This waste incurs financial losses of around £250 per individual and contributes to about 3% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions (Waste and Resources Action Program, 2023). Effective waste management is therefore crucial.
This project uses Machine Learning and mapping techniques to estimate waste quantities at a local level, aiming to optimize waste management resources.
Favour Aghaebe
Understanding Public Health Priorities for Baby Foods
The quality and safety of baby food products are important for ensuring the proper growth and development of infants and young children. Any inadequacies in these baby foods can lead to significant health risks, including malnutrition, obesity, and developmental issues.
The Nutrient and Promotion Profile Model (NPPM) was developed in response to the growing international concern over the suitability of commercial food products for infants and young children (FIYC) available across Europe.
Existing regulatory guidelines and standards (Alimentarius, 1981; EC, 2006) are outdated and insufficient, prompting WHO Member States and health bodies to call for urgent action to end the inappropriate promotion of FIYC (WHO, 2019, 2022).
Folasayo Ogundipe
Breaking barriers to active travel: Impact of Weather and Daylight
This case study explores the relationship between weather conditions and cycling engagement within the Bradford area using Strava data.
Strava is a fitness App that tracks an estimated 100 million user’s physical activity across 190 countries.
This concise case study concentrates on analysing cycling activity across various Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) deciles and weather scenarios, alongside the development and intended application of new datasets.
Lydia Wharton