Analysis of lifestyle and metabolic predictors of visceral obesity with Bayesian Networks

Background: The aim of this study was to provide a framework for the analysis of visceral obesity and its determinants in women, where complex inter-relationships are observed among lifestyle, nutritional and metabolic predictors. Thirty-four predictors related to lifestyle, adiposity, body fat distribution, blood lipids and adipocyte sizes have been considered as potential correlates of visceral obesity in women. To properly address the difficulties in managing such interactions given our limited sample of 150 women, bootstrapped Bayesian networks were constructed based on novel constraint-based learning methods that appeared recently in the statistical learning community. Statistical significance of edge strengths was evaluated and the less reliable edges were pruned to increase the network robustness. To allow accessible interpretation and integrate biological knowledge into the final network, several undirected edges were afterwards directed with physiological expertise according ...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2010
• Where: BMCBI
• Authors: Alex Aussem, André Tchernof, Sergio Rodrigues de Morais, Sophie Rome
• Keywords: Bayesian Networks, Biological Knowledge, BMCBI 2010, Visceral Obesity