Background: Obesity prevalence has become one of the most prominent issues in global public health. Physical activity has been recognized as a key player in the obesity epidemic. Objectives: The objectives of this study are to (1) examine the relationship between physical activity and weight status and (2) assess the performance and predictive power of a set of popular machine learning and traditional statistical methods. Methods: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2003 to 2006) data were used. A total of 7162 participants met our inclusion criteria (3682 males and 3480 females), with average age ranging from 48.6 (normal weight) to 52.1 years old (overweight). Eleven classifying algorithms—including logistic regression, naïve Bayes, Radial Basis Function (RBF), local k-nearest neighbors (k-NN), classification via regression (CVR), random subspace, decision table, multiobjective evolutionary fuzzy classifier, random tree, J48, and multilayer perceptron—were implemented and evaluated, and they were compared with traditional logistic regression model estimates. Results: With physical activity and basic demographic status, of all methods analyzed, the random subspace classifier algorithm achieved the highest overall accuracy and area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). The duration of vigorous-intensity activity in one week and the duration of moderate-intensity activity in one week were important attributes. In general, most algorithms showed similar performance. Logistic regression was middle-ranking in terms of overall accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and AUC among all methods. Conclusions: Physical activity was an important factor in predicting weight status, with gender, age, and race/ethnicity being less but still essential factors associated with weight outcomes. Tailored intervention policies and programs should target the differences rooted in these demographic factors to curb the increase in the prevalence of obesity and reduce disparities among sub-demographic populations.

Edge computing is a computational paradigm that brings resources closer to the network edge, such as base stations or gateways, in order to provide quick and efficient computing services for mobile devices while relieving pressure on the core network. However, the current computing power of edge servers are insufficient to handle the high number of tasks generated by access devices. Additionally, some mobile devices may not fully utilize their computing resources. To maximize the use of resources, we propose a novel edge computing system architecture consisting of a resource-constrained edge server and three computing groups. Tasks from each group can be offloaded to either the edge server or the corresponding computing group for execution. We focus on optimizing the computation offloading of devices to minimize the maximum overall task processing latency in the system. This problem is proved to be NP-hard. To solve it, we propose a DQN-based resource utilization task scheduling (DQNRTS) algorithm that has two desirable characteristics: 1) it effectively utilizes the computing resources in the system and 2) it uses deep reinforcement learning to make intelligent scheduling decisions based on system state information. Experimental results demonstrate that the DQNRTS algorithm is capable of reducing the processing latency of the system by converging to optimal solutions.

Background: Social media platforms provide a valuable source of public health information, as one-third of US adults seek specific health information online. Many antitobacco campaigns have recognized such trends among youth and have shifted their advertising time and effort toward digital platforms. Timely evidence is needed to inform the adaptation of antitobacco campaigns to changing social media platforms. Objective: In this study, we conducted a content analysis of major antitobacco campaigns on Facebook using machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) methods, as well as a traditional approach, to investigate the factors that may influence effective antismoking information dissemination and user engagement. Methods: We collected 3515 posts and 28,125 associated comments from 7 large national and local antitobacco campaigns on Facebook between 2018 and 2021, including the Real Cost, Truth, CDC Tobacco Free (formally known as Tips from Former Smokers, where “CDC” refers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the Tobacco Prevention Toolkit, Behind the Haze VA, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, and Smoke Free US campaigns. NLP methods were used for content analysis, including parsimonious rule–based models for sentiment analysis and topic modeling. Logistic regression models were fitted to examine the relationship of antismoking message-framing strategies and viewer responses and engagement. Results: We found that large campaigns from government and nonprofit organizations had more user engagements compared to local and smaller campaigns. Facebook users were more likely to engage in negatively framed campaign posts. Negative posts tended to receive more negative comments (odds ratio [OR] 1.40, 95% CI 1.20-1.65). Positively framed posts generated more negative comments (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.19-1.66) as well as positive comments (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.13-1.48). Our content analysis and topic modeling uncovered that the most popular campaign posts tended to be informational (ie, providing new information), where the key phrases included talking about harmful chemicals (n=43, 43%) as well as the risk to pets (n=17, 17%). Conclusions: Facebook users tend to engage more in antitobacco educational campaigns that are framed negatively. The most popular campaign posts are those providing new information, with key phrases and topics discussing harmful chemicals and risks of secondhand smoke for pets. Educational campaign designers can use such insights to increase the reach of antismoking campaigns and promote behavioral changes.

Background: Although Pinterest has become a popular platform for distributing influential information that shapes users’ behaviors, the role of recipes pinned on Pinterest in these behaviors is not well understood. Objective: This study aims to explore the patterns of food ingredients and the nutritional content of recipes posted on Pinterest and to examine the factors associated with recipes that engage more users. Methods: Data were collected from Pinterest between June 28 and July 12, 2020 (207 recipes and 2818 comments). All samples were collected via 2 new user accounts with no search history. A codebook was developed with a raw agreement rate of 0.97 across all variables. Content analysis and natural language processing sentiment analysis techniques were employed. Results: Recipes using seafood or vegetables as the main ingredient had, on average, fewer calories and less sodium, sugar, and cholesterol than meat- or poultry-based recipes. For recipes using meat as the main ingredient, more than half of the energy was obtained from fat (277/490, 56.6%). Although the most followed pinners tended to post recipes containing more poultry or seafood and less meat, recipes with higher fat content or providing more calories per serving were more popular, having more shared photos or videos and comments. The natural language processing–based sentiment analysis suggested that Pinterest users weighted taste more heavily than complexity (225/2818, 8.0%) and health (84/2828, 2.9%). Conclusions: Although popular pinners tended to post recipes with more seafood or poultry or vegetables and less meat, recipes with higher fat and sugar content were more user-engaging, with more photo or video shares and comments. Data on Pinterest behaviors can inform the development and implementation of nutrition health interventions to promote healthy recipe sharing on social media platforms.

Advancements in the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) have made remote patient monitoring increasingly viable. However, challenges persist in safeguarding sensitive data, optimizing resources, and addressing the energy constraints of patient devices. This paper presents a health monitoring framework integrating Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) and sixth-generation (6G) technologies, structured into internal Medical Body Area Networks (int-MBANs) and external communications beyond MBANs (ext-MBANs). For int-MBANs, the proposed OptiBand algorithm optimizes energy consumption, extends device standby time, and considers message timeliness and medical criticality. A key innovation of OptiBand is its incorporation of patient’s device standby time into the resource allocation strategy to address real-world patient needs. For ext-MBANs, the DynaMEC algorithm dynamically balances energy efficiency, privacy protection, latency, and fairness, even under varying patient scales. A latency-aware scheduling mechanism also be introduced to guarantee timely completion of emergency tasks. Theoretical analysis and experimental results confirm the feasibility, convergence, and optimality of both algorithms. These characteristics and advantages of the proposed system make remote patient monitoring through IoMT more feasible and effective.