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Smart Sensor Based on Biofeedback to Measure Child Relaxation in Out-of-Home Care
Daniel Jaramillo-Quintanar1, Irving A Cruz-Albarran1, Veronica M Guzman-Sandoval2
1Mechatronics, Engineering Faculty, Campus San Juan del Rio, University Autonomous of Queretaro, San Juan del Rio, Queretaro 76803, Mexico.
Insights
A new smart sensor accurately measures relaxation levels in children from out-of-home care. The accompanying i-CARE app effectively manages anxiety using biofeedback and guided imagery techniques.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Psychology
- Child Welfare
Background:
- Children in out-of-home care experience significant stress and anxiety impacting their well-being.
- Comprehensive psychological treatment is crucial but lacks objective measures for relaxation.
- Existing relaxation methods for this population need validated assessment tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel smart sensor for assessing relaxation levels in children.
- To evaluate the efficacy of the i-CARE application for anxiety management in this demographic.
- To provide objective bio-psycho-social well-being indicators for children in out-of-home care.
Main Methods:
- A smart sensor was developed to measure thermal biomarkers and heart rate (HR).
- A k-nearest neighbors (K-NN) classifier was used to categorize relaxation into four levels.
- The i-CARE application, incorporating biofeedback, guided imagery, and games, was evaluated.
Main Results:
- The smart sensor achieved 89.7% accuracy in measuring relaxation levels.
- The i-CARE application demonstrated effectiveness in anxiety management.
- Objective and reliable data on relaxation and anxiety were obtained.
Conclusions:
- The developed smart sensor offers a reliable method for quantifying relaxation in children.
- The i-CARE application is an effective tool for managing anxiety in vulnerable children.
- This integrated approach supports the bio-psycho-social well-being of children in out-of-home care.
Abstract:
Children from out-of-home care are a vulnerable population that faces high stress and anxiety levels due to stressful experiences, such as being abused, being raped, and violence. This problem could have negative effects on their bio-psycho-social well-being if they are not provided with comprehensive psychological treatment. Numerous methods have been developed to help them relax, but there are no current approaches for assessing the relaxation level they reach. Based on this, a novel smart sensor that can evaluate the level of relaxation a child experiences is developed in this paper. It evaluates changes in thermal biomarkers (forehead, right and left cheek, chin, and maxillary) and heart rate (HR). Then, through a k-nearest neighbors (K-NN) intelligent classifier, four possible levels of relaxation can be obtained: no-relax, low-relax, relax, and very-relax. Additionally, an application (called i-CARE) for anxiety management, which is based on biofeedback diaphragmatic breathing, guided imagery, and video games, is evaluated. After testing the developed smart sensor, an 89.7% accuracy is obtained. The smart sensor used provides a reliable measurement of relaxation levels and the i-CARE application is effective for anxiety management, both of which are focused on children exposed to out-of-home care conditions.
