Facilitating comprehensive child health monitoring within REDCap - an open-source code for real-time Z-score assessments
Abstract Background Monitoring of somatic development through the assessment of anthropometric variables such as weight, height, and BMI is vital for evaluating the physical development and nutritional status of children. This approach aids in the early identification of somatic developmental disord...
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BMC
2024-12-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-024-02405-0 |
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| author | Priyanka Mendon Michael Witsch Marianne Becker Aurélie Adamski Michel Vaillant |
| author_facet | Priyanka Mendon Michael Witsch Marianne Becker Aurélie Adamski Michel Vaillant |
| author_sort | Priyanka Mendon |
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| description | Abstract Background Monitoring of somatic development through the assessment of anthropometric variables such as weight, height, and BMI is vital for evaluating the physical development and nutritional status of children. This approach aids in the early identification of somatic developmental disorders, enabling timely medical interventions. It traditionally relies on Z-scores, which compare anthropometric variables with reference standards. In addition to somatic development monitoring, the early detection and management of pediatric and adolescent hypertension are crucial due to potential long-term health risks. However, manual calculations of Z-scores are time-consuming and error-prone, impeding timely interventions for at-risk children. This article introduces an innovative open-code solution for real-time Z-score assessments directly within the electronic data capture platform, Research Electronic Data Capture, (REDCap™), aiming to streamline the monitoring of somatic development in children. Methods Leveraging the World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) references, our approach integrates Z-score computations directly into REDCap, providing a secure and user-friendly environment for healthcare professionals and researchers. We employed Bland-Altman analyses to compare our method with established calculators (Knirps and Growth XP™) using synthetic data values for all variables. Results Bland-Altman plots demonstrated strong agreement between our REDCap calculations and the Knirps and Growth XP systems. Z-scores for height, BMI, and blood pressure consistently aligned, affirming the accuracy of our approach across the measurement range. Conclusion The integration with REDCap streamlines data collection and analysis, eliminating the need for separate software and data exports. Moreover, our solution uses the World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) references. This not only ensures calculation accuracy but also enhances its suitability for diverse research contexts. The Bland-Altman analyses establish the reliability of our method, contributing to a more effective approach to child growth and blood pressure monitoring. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3eaf1fb62a484e1682554dbc7d4cc896 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1471-2288 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Research Methodology |
| spelling | doaj-art-3eaf1fb62a484e1682554dbc7d4cc8962025-08-20T02:20:45ZengBMCBMC Medical Research Methodology1471-22882024-12-0124111310.1186/s12874-024-02405-0Facilitating comprehensive child health monitoring within REDCap - an open-source code for real-time Z-score assessmentsPriyanka Mendon0Michael Witsch1Marianne Becker2Aurélie Adamski3Michel Vaillant4Competence Centre for Methodology and Statistics, Department of Medical Informatics, Luxembourg Institute of HealthPediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, Centre Hospitalier de LuxembourgPediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, Centre Hospitalier de LuxembourgPediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, Centre Hospitalier de LuxembourgCompetence Centre for Methodology and Statistics, Department of Medical Informatics, Luxembourg Institute of HealthAbstract Background Monitoring of somatic development through the assessment of anthropometric variables such as weight, height, and BMI is vital for evaluating the physical development and nutritional status of children. This approach aids in the early identification of somatic developmental disorders, enabling timely medical interventions. It traditionally relies on Z-scores, which compare anthropometric variables with reference standards. In addition to somatic development monitoring, the early detection and management of pediatric and adolescent hypertension are crucial due to potential long-term health risks. However, manual calculations of Z-scores are time-consuming and error-prone, impeding timely interventions for at-risk children. This article introduces an innovative open-code solution for real-time Z-score assessments directly within the electronic data capture platform, Research Electronic Data Capture, (REDCap™), aiming to streamline the monitoring of somatic development in children. Methods Leveraging the World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) references, our approach integrates Z-score computations directly into REDCap, providing a secure and user-friendly environment for healthcare professionals and researchers. We employed Bland-Altman analyses to compare our method with established calculators (Knirps and Growth XP™) using synthetic data values for all variables. Results Bland-Altman plots demonstrated strong agreement between our REDCap calculations and the Knirps and Growth XP systems. Z-scores for height, BMI, and blood pressure consistently aligned, affirming the accuracy of our approach across the measurement range. Conclusion The integration with REDCap streamlines data collection and analysis, eliminating the need for separate software and data exports. Moreover, our solution uses the World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) references. This not only ensures calculation accuracy but also enhances its suitability for diverse research contexts. The Bland-Altman analyses establish the reliability of our method, contributing to a more effective approach to child growth and blood pressure monitoring.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-024-02405-0Somatic development monitoringREDCapZ-ScoresOpen CodeReal-time calculationsWorld Health Organization (WHO) growth standards |
| spellingShingle | Priyanka Mendon Michael Witsch Marianne Becker Aurélie Adamski Michel Vaillant Facilitating comprehensive child health monitoring within REDCap - an open-source code for real-time Z-score assessments BMC Medical Research Methodology Somatic development monitoring REDCap Z-Scores Open Code Real-time calculations World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards |
| title | Facilitating comprehensive child health monitoring within REDCap - an open-source code for real-time Z-score assessments |
| title_full | Facilitating comprehensive child health monitoring within REDCap - an open-source code for real-time Z-score assessments |
| title_fullStr | Facilitating comprehensive child health monitoring within REDCap - an open-source code for real-time Z-score assessments |
| title_full_unstemmed | Facilitating comprehensive child health monitoring within REDCap - an open-source code for real-time Z-score assessments |
| title_short | Facilitating comprehensive child health monitoring within REDCap - an open-source code for real-time Z-score assessments |
| title_sort | facilitating comprehensive child health monitoring within redcap an open source code for real time z score assessments |
| topic | Somatic development monitoring REDCap Z-Scores Open Code Real-time calculations World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-024-02405-0 |
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