Modelling the Joint Effect of Social Determinants and Peers on Obesity Among Canadian Adults

Abstract

A novel framework for modelling trends in obesity is presented. The framework, integrating both Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCMs) and social networks, is applied to the problem of obesity prevention using knowledge shared through social connections. The capability of FCMs to handle a large number of relevant factors is used here to preserve domain expertise in the model. Model details and design decisions are presented along with results that suggest that the type of social network structure impacts the effectiveness of knowledge transfer. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014.