ESPE2024 Poster Category 1 Fat, Metabolism and Obesity 1 (10 abstracts)
1Center for the Prevention and Management of Overweight and Obesity in Childhood and Adolescence, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, First Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, ‘Aghia Sophia’ Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece. 2Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece. 3ECONCARE - Health Research & Consulting, Athens, Greece. 41st Department of Otolaryngology, 'Hippocrateio' Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece. 5Telematic Medical Applications LTD, Piraeus, Greece. 6Netcompany-Intrasoft SA, L-1253, Luxembourg. 7Computer Solutions Cyprus LTD, Nicosia, Cyprus. 8Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. 9University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia. 10Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences and Education, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece. 11Institute of Communication & Computer Systems (ICCS), Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Athens, Greece. 12https://www.bio-streams.eu/consortium/, Greece
Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) European Regional Obesity Report 2022 stated that obesity rates have reached epidemic proportions across the European Union (EU). Obesity affects nearly one in three children (29% of boys and 27% of girls), and is associated with adverse psychological and psychosocial outcome and increased risk for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). In addition, none of the 53 Member States are on track to meet the target of stopping the rise in obesity by 2025.
Aim: To address the childhood obesity epidemic, BIO-STREAMS (https://www.bio-streams.eu/), a 4-year (2023–2027) HORIZON European Research and Innovation Action project (Νo101080718), brings together 30 partners from 15 countries across the EU, with the collaboration of 7 hospitals in 6 EU countries and 5 school sites in 5 EU countries, in order to design, develop and implement a holistic program for the effective management of childhood obesity.
Methods: This solution is based on three areas: 1) The first EU Childhood/Adolescence Obesity Biobank (Bio-Streams Biobank): This is the first EU-wide centre for sharing data related to childhood and adolescent obesity, aiming to standardize data collection and expand the data network across countries, 2) Streams Platform: This is an integrated digital platform offering personalized risk assessments, tailored prevention programs, a marketplace of mobile tools, including the Active Health App and a knowledge hub, all aimed at addressing childhood obesity effectively, 3) An EU Community Network on Childhood/Adolescence Obesity (Bio-Streams Community Network): Coordinated via the Bio-Streams Platform, this network facilitates evidence-based knowledge communication to stakeholders, dissemination of best practices and weight-neutral approaches, community engagement campaigns for healthier environments and long-term behavioral change, as well as citizen access to local obesity professionals via the Bio-Streams Associative Catalogue.
Results: By establishing an EU-wide Knowledge Chain Model (KCM) on obesity for the underage population, Bio-Streams provides substantial solutions to childhood obesity and aims to shape healthier habits. Advanced machine learning models support the project, promising high-accuracy personalized advice. Furthermore, Bio-Streams strives to improve the quality of life for its target group and is set to be a valuable tool in clinical settings.
Conclusion: An integrated multi-layered approach using intelligent information systems, focusing on health data management, knowledge management, risk assessment, prevention, healthy living interventions, and community awareness and mobilization, is expected to contribute significantly towards promoting a healthier lifestyle, as well as designing the appropriate health policies for the prevention and treatment of obesity in childhood and adolescence.