Novel e-Health Applications for the Management of Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Children and Adolescents in Greece

Abstract

Obesity in childhood and adolescence represents a major health problem. Novel e-Health technologies have been developed in order to provide a comprehensive and personalized plan of action for the prevention and management of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence. We used information and communication technologies to develop a “National Registry for the Prevention and Management of Overweight and Obesity” in order to register online children and adolescents nationwide, and to guide pediatricians and general practitioners regarding the management of overweight or obese subjects. Furthermore, intelligent multi-level information systems and specialized artificial intelligence algorithms are being developed with a view to offering precision and personalized medical management to obese or overweight subjects. Moreover, the Big Data against Childhood Obesity platform records behavioral data objectively by using inertial sensors and Global Positioning System (GPS) and combines them with data of the environment, in order to assess the full contextual framework that is associated with increased body mass index (BMI). Finally, a computerized decision-support tool was developed to assist pediatric health care professionals in delivering personalized nutrition and lifestyle optimization advice to overweight or obese children and their families. These e-Health applications are expected to play an important role in the management of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence.

Artificial Intelligence in Nutrients Science Research: A Review

“…The data were analyzed using edge computing on a Bayesian deep learning network (EC-BDLN). Tragomalu et al analyzed e-health applications for the management of cardiometabolic risk factors in children and adolescents [ 73 ]. Ramyaa et al tried to phenotype women based on dietary macronutrients and physical activity using machine learning, support vector machine (SVM), neural network and k-nearest neighbors (kNN) algorithms [ 74 ].…”

A National e-Health Program for the Prevention and Management of Overweight and Obesity in Childhood and Adolescence in Greece

“…; 1088 males, 1312 females), who were studied prospectively for 1 year. Subjects were classified as having obesity ( n = 1370, 57.1%), overweight ( n = 674, 28.1%) or normal BMI ( n = 356, 14.8%) according to the International Obesity Task Force cut-off points [ 15 ]. The clinical characteristics of all subjects at baseline are shown in Table 1 .…”

“…To address this problem in our country, we developed the ‘National e-Health Program for the Prevention and Management of Overweight and Obesity in Childhood and Adolescence’, which provides specific and detailed guidance to all primary health care physicians about the personalized management of overweight or obese children and adolescents [ 13 , 14 ]. The ‘National e-Health Program for the Prevention and Management of Overweight and Obesity in Childhood and Adolescence’ is a National Program available to all Pediatricians and General Practitioners in our country, who—through a web application—register online all children and adolescents nationwide, and receive guidance and detailed advice regarding their management depending on their BMI [ 13 , 15 ].…”

“…Upon entering the EMRF, each Pediatrician or General Practitioner has the opportunity to create a new EMRF in order to record a new patient, while he/she is able to view only the EMRFs of the patients under his/her care. In the EMRF, the physician records information on personal and demographic data, such as the social security number, name, surname, birth date and demographic data, the child’s present and past medical history, the family history, the clinical examination findings (including the anthropometric parameters and arterial blood pressure) and the patient’s signed consent form [ 13 , 15 ]. The electronic database system (EDS) then automatically calculates the BMI from the data on height and weight and informs the physician whether the patient has normal or increased BMI.…”

“…Therefore, the TAF provides a comprehensive and personalized multidisciplinary management plan for the prevention and/or management of overweight and obesity for the patient. The TAF indicates what the initial advice to the patient and his/her family should be; when the physician should reassess the patient; how he/she will manage the patient if there is adequate response to the therapeutic interventions or if there is no response to the therapeutic interventions despite compliance with those; when he/she will perform laboratory investigations and which ones; when he/she will refer the patient to a pediatric dietician or psychologist; and when he/she will refer the patient to a pediatric endocrinologist or a specialist center with expertise in the management of overweight and obesity [ 13 , 15 ].…”