Using new technologies to promote children health in the cross border region

Progress
100%
Period
13/02/12 to 30/06/13
252.664

CHILDRENHEALTH is a cross-border collaboration project between Greece and FYROM which aims to assess and eventually mitigate the problems from the increasing of obesity and cardiovascular diseases in the general population starting from the infancy. A clinical study will be performed through data samplings in children in the cross border areas to identify risk profiles and devise tailored prevention strategies. This study will be complemented by new technologies for logically presenting information to medical professionals using a children health record database, for producing maps and visual displays, for semantic tagging of findings and effective communication between health professionals.

The aim of the proposed project is the cross-border collaboration between Greece and FYROM in using new technologies to protect public health; the project will assess and eventually mitigate the problems from the increasing of obesity and cardiovascular diseases in the general population starting from the infancy.

The strategic objectives addressed in the proposed project are:

  • to enhance the knowledge of the health effects of a changing diet or social environment and lifestyle of infants/children in the involved regions and enhance early determination of risk factors;
  • to develop, implement and validate specific intervention approaches in order to reduce the prevalence of diet- and lifestyle-related diseases and disorders in the two countries, focusing on the age group of 8-12 years.  This proposal is focused on overweight and obesity as major components of the onset of cardiovascular diseases. Partners will make extensive data samplings in children to identify risk profiles of children susceptible to these disorders and will devise tailored prevention strategies that are effective, easy to implement and that account for the needs of different social groups. Genetic and non-genetic factors will be considered;
  • to create databases of semantically-enriched cardiovascular health records enabling collaboration and knowledge sharing among medical professionals by allowing also the geospatial representation of findings/records;
  • to set up a web platform for informing, educating and increasing awareness of the public by employing state-of-the-art Web 2.0 technologies;
  • to develop a strategic action plan for education of both the public and the medical professionals of the region. Lectures/seminars will be organized in public schools for children, parents and teachers. Hands-on and traditional seminars will be organized for medical professionals on the cutting edge technologies for detection of cardiovascular risks and appropriate mitigation techniques.