OB CITY-Definition of a Family-Based Intervention for Childhood Obesity Supported by Information and Communication...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Informatics
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a major 21st-century public health challenge.
• Current behavior interventions for childhood obesity often lack long-term effectiveness.
• Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are underutilized in childhood obesity interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define a system supporting family-based childhood obesity intervention.
• To analyze existing family-based interventions and technological solutions.
• To develop a prototype system, OB CITY, for long-term intervention.

Main Methods:

• State-of-the-art analysis of family-based interventions and technology.
• Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to derive an intervention model.
• Development of the OB CITY system prototype.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive analysis of family-based interventions and ICTs.
• A derived model for childhood obesity family-based behavior intervention.
• A prototype system (OB CITY) integrating various technological approaches.

Conclusions:

• The OB CITY system integrates applied behavior analysis, affective computing, serious games, and gamification.
• It aims to provide long-term services across all care dimensions of family-based intervention.
• The system is designed to positively impact childhood obesity treatment through sustained engagement.