ESPE Abstracts

To date, knowledge of population dynamics and its repercussions on health required complex, long and expensive field studies. Big data tools are nowadays postulated as a tool of first magnitude for weighted population changes observed in real time if reliable sources of collection and adequate mathematical and computer tools for their assessment are available.

Main Objective: To evaluate, using big data tools, whether there have been significant changes in our pediatric population in the variables determining nutritional status (overweight) by comparing the situation before and after the pandemic, confinement and restrictions due to COVID 2019.

Material and Methods: Data collected from episodes of computerized medical records, studying the variables sex, age, weight, height, place of residence (PC, health center, neighborhood) of our population between 01/01/2020-03/31/2020 vs 01 / 01/2022-03/31/2022 To calculate the curves and percentile tables we have used the Cole-Green LMS algorithm with penalized likelihood, implemented in the RefCurv 0.4.2 (2020) software, which allows managing large amounts of data. The hyperparameters have been selected using the BIC (Bayesian information criterion). To calculate population deviations from the reference, being above 1.5 standard deviations from the mean according to age has been taken as a reference.

Results: 66,975 computerized episodes of children under 16 years of age and a total of 1,205,000 variables studied are collected. Although data is available, individuals >16ª are excluded due to low N. The graphs of our population are represented with respect to the standards, observing that there are differences with Orbegozo 2011 and Spain 2010. We present the data and percentages of overweight/obesity by age and sex in the two periods studied. An increase in overweight compared to the reference population is evident in the entire 2022 vs 2020 sample. But these differences are more evident in the sample of adolescent individuals and “obesity trigger” ages: 2-3 years and 6-7 years.

Conclusion: There is a significant difference in our population in the variables associated with childhood overweight if we compare the pre- and post-pandemic period, perhaps associated with confinement, less physical activity and overeating. Knowing in which areas of the population these changes have occurred, age groups, sexes or neighborhoods, will allow investing socio-health resources more efficiently.