A multi-agent simulation: The case of physical activity and childhood obesity

Abstract

Engaging in a regular physical activity appears to be an important factor in the prevention of childhood obesity, which became one of the major public health challenges worldwide. The literature suggests that the relationship between physical activity and obesity is complex with many intervening factors that come from different aspects of the child's life. Yet, so far, the proposed models do not include all of the identified factors. The main objective of this study is to simulate the child's behavior within his/her social and physical environments in order to understand precisely the relationship between the PA and childhood obesity. This paper proposes a simulation model using the multiagent paradigm. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014.