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

Review

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

Athanasia Tragomalou^1,2,*, George Moschonis ³, Yannis Manios⁴, Penio Kassari^1,2, Ioannis Ioakimidis⁵, Christos Diou⁶, Leandros Stefanopoulos⁷ , Eirini Lekka⁷, Nicos Maglaveras⁷, Anastasios Delopoulos⁶ and Evangelia Charmandari^1,2

1. Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, “Aghia Sophia” Children’s Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece; peniokassari@gmail.com (P.K.); evangelia.charmandari@googlemail.com (E.C.)
2. Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
3. Department of Dietetics, Nutrition and Sport, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne VIC 3086, Australia; G.Moschonis@latrobe.edu.au
4. Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University of Athens, 70 El Venizelou Avenue, Kallithea, 17671 Athens, Greece; manios@hua.gr
5. Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden; Ioannis.Ioakimidis@ki.se
6. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; diou@mug.ee.auth.gr (C.D.); adelo@eng.auth.gr (A.D.)
7. Department of Medicine, Lab of Computing Medical Informatics and Biomedical Imaging Technologies, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Medical School, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
8. leandros@gmail.com (L.S.); lekka@auth.gr (E.L.); nicmag@med.auth.gr (N.M.)

* Correspondence: nansymou@hotmail.com; Tel.: +30-6937687555

Received: 23 March 2020; Accepted: 7 May 2020; Published: 12 May 2020

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.

Keywords: childhood obesity; e-Health; registries; big data; algorithms; Pedobesity; cardiometabolic risk factors