Bridging the gap: development of a methodology for retrieving and harmonising body mass index (BMI) from population-level linked electronic health records.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

This study aims to develop a methodology to retrieve, harmonise and evaluate the completeness of national body mass index (BMI) data from linked electronic health record (EHR) sources to build a longitudinal research-ready data asset (RRDA).

Design

A longitudinal study of BMI records spanning 23 years (1 January 2000 to 31 December 2022) from four data sources.

Setting

The national BMI RRDA is created within the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (Databank), encompassing the entire population of Wales, UK.

Procedure and participants

We built a methodology that provides a reproducible framework for extracting and harmonising BMI data from four major linked EHRs across two age groups: children and young people (CYP; 2-18 years old) and adults (19 yea

SUBMITTER: Childs MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12506101 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature