We reviewed the use of agent-based modeling (ABM), a systems science method, in understanding noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and their public health risk factors.We systematically reviewed studies in PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Web of Sciences published from January 2003 to July 2014. We retrieved 22 relevant articles; each had an observational or interventional design. Physical activity and diet were the most-studied outcomes. Often, single agent types were modeled, and the environment was usually irrelevant to the studied outcome. Predictive validation and sensitivity analyses were most used to validate models.Although increasingly used to study NCDs, ABM remains underutilized and, where used, is suboptimally reported in public health studies. Its use in studying NCDs will benefit from clarified best practices and improved rigor to establish its usefulness and facilitate replication, interpretation, and application.
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机译：我们回顾了基于代理模型（ABM）的系统科学方法在理解非传染性疾病（NCD）及其公共健康风险因素方面的应用。我们系统地回顾了2003年1月至2003年间在PubMed，ScienceDirect和Web of Sciences中发表的研究2014年7月。我们检索了22篇相关文章；每个人都有观察或干预设计。体育锻炼和饮食是研究最多的结果。通常，对单因素类型进行建模，并且环境通常与研究结果无关。预测性验证和敏感性分析最常用于验证模型。尽管越来越多地用于研究非传染性疾病，但ABM仍未得到充分利用，并且在公共卫生研究中未得到最佳报道。它在研究NCD中的用途将受益于明确的最佳实践和提高的严格性，以确立其实用性并促进复制，解释和应用。
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