Applications of Systems Science in Biomedical Research Regarding Obesity and Noncommunicable Chronic Diseases: Opportunities, Promise, and Challenges

Abstract

Interest in the application of systems science (SS) in biomedical research, particularly regarding obesity and noncommunicable chronic disease (NCD) research, has been growing rapidly over the past decade. SS is a broad term referring to a family of research approaches that include modeling. As an emerging approach being adopted in public health, SS focuses on the complex dynamic interaction between agents (e.g., people) and subsystems defined at different levels. SS provides a conceptual framework for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches that address complex problems. SS has unique advantages for studying obesity and NCD problems in comparison to the traditional analytic approaches. The application of SS in biomedical research dates back to the 1960s with the development of computing capacity and simulation software. In recent decades, SS has been applied to addressing the growing global obesity epidemic. There is growing appreciation and support for using SS in the public health field, with many promising opportunities. There are also many challenges and uncertainties, including methodologic, funding, and institutional barriers. Integrated efforts by stakeholders that address these challenges are critical for the successful application of SS in the future.

Applications of systems modelling in obesity research

“…Systems modelling (SM) methods have gained increasing interest and support during recent years, because of their potential in helping understand the complex interrelationships among factors related to the obesity epidemic . As an example, a Global Center of Excellence was established in 2011 based on a $16m U54 Center grant our international multidisciplinary team received from the National Institutes of Health (NIH, Systems‐oriented Pediatric Obesity Research and Training [SPORT] Center of Excellence [U54]), aiming to promote the applications and training of SM as well as international interdisciplinary collaboration in obesity and non‐communicable chronic disease (NCD) research at a worldwide scale .…”

Investigating the Diffusion of Agent‐based Modelling and System Dynamics Modelling in Population Health and Healthcare Research

“…Systems science can complement traditional reductionist approaches by providing a means of understanding behaviors of the whole system and assessing the impact of interventions from a systems point of view. Thus, systems science approaches (mainly ABMs and SDMs) have been increasingly used to understand complex population health and healthcare problems and develop innovative strategies to tackle some of the most challenging problems such as the growing epidemic of obesity and other chronic conditions (Hovmand, ; Wang et al ., ).…”

Opportunities and challenges of using big data for global health

“…The past two decades have witnessed the burgeoning of enormous digital technologies and data collected via countless channels. They are combined in numerous ways in different fields, including epidemiology, mHealth and modeling of health systems, with the intention to improve human health (e.g., clinical decision support, electronic medical record management) [1][2][3][4][5][6]. However, this is a new interdisciplinary area where no single scientific discipline knows how to take full advantage of these data and technologies to solve health problems [1].…”

“…Some big data analytics may not stem from classical statistical theory, with less than optimal performance. Systems modeling and machine learning are two promising options that may play an important role in this field [1,17]. 10.…”