Travel reports from Waterloo Institute for Complexity & Innovation (WICI) sponsored students pursuing research goals in disciplines related to complexity science at the University of Waterloo.
Complex systems modelling for public health research, University of Michigan
Author: Amanda Raffoul (health studies and gerontology)
Abstract: Systems theories are becoming increasingly popular in health studies, and prior to this course, I had experience in applying a complexity lens to more involved issues, such as health behaviour co-occurrence and obesity in Canada. My research focuses on obesity, and how psychosocial contributors to weight status, such as dieting, body image, and weight bias, influence our overall health. However, as I move forward into doctoral studies, I hope to continue investigating psychosocial weight-related topics and their relation with overall dietary patterns and quality among youth through a more applied systems lens. An increasing number of researchers have begun to apply complex systems research methods, such as agent-based modelling (ABM), to obesity-related topics and provided great insight for prevention initiatives.