JMIR Research Protocols

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), defined as the deliberate, self-inflicted damage of body tissue without suicidal intent, is increasingly prevalent among adolescents and young adults and poses a major public health concern. Current treatments are often costly, difficult to access, and not tailored to the specific needs of young people. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions represent a promising avenue for scalable, accessible, and cost-effective support for NSSI, especially when combined with real-time assessments and personalized treatment strategies.

Surveillance of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) was extensive upon vaccine introduction; however, it declined after the withdrawal of pandemic status in May 2023. Continued monitoring of updated vaccine formulations is needed to ensure the maintenance of VE in the face of evolving viral strains.

Health care systems are increasingly challenged by demographic shifts, rising chronic illnesses, human resource constraints, and growing efficiency demands. Improving both occupational safety and health (OSH) and patient safety (PS) management has been identified as a pivotal strategy to address these challenges. However, there is a paucity of evidence-based methods that support systematic and integrated OSH and PS. In response, the Systematic and Integrated Occupational Safety and Health and Patient Safety Management Systems (SIOHPS) intervention was developed, guided by the Safer Culture Framework and the Medical Research Council (MRC) framework for complex interventions.

Despite major gains in smoking cessation treatment, over half of those who recently quit will relapse within one year. Two systematic reviews of relapse prevention studies reached differing conclusions on effectiveness of behavioral interventions. Existing relapse prevention evidence is limited by study designs, methodology, and conceptual approaches to behavioral interventions. Personal networks exert powerful effects on initiating and maintaining smoking behavior and can facilitate maintaining abstinence or trigger relapse. To date, relapse prevention interventions have focused on those who are newly abstinent (“abstainer”) and not attempted to influence the abstainer’s personal network. The Helpers Stay Quit (Helpers Stay Quit) online training is a conceptually novel “help others” intervention to increase abstainers’ public identification as a non-smoker and their ability to influence those in their personal network to also quit smoking – thereby creating a personal network social environment supportive of long-term abstinence.

Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) is a chronic inflammation of the thyroid gland mediated by autoimmune disorders, often leading to hypothyroidism and a significant reduction in a patient’s quality of life. At the time of this writing, there is a lack of effective clinical treatments for early-stage HT. Kangjia decoction granules (KDGs) were developed based on clinical experience and results analysis, showing promising outcomes in improving antibody levels and quality of life in patients with HT. However, there is a lack of further evaluation of the efficacy and safety of KDGs.

Racialized immigrants are disproportionately impacted by HIV in Canada. In 2022, 69.5% of first-time HIV cases, where race and/or ethnicity was reported, were racialized individuals - Indigenous (22.6%); Black (18.0%), Asian and Arab (16.3%), and Latinx (10.1%). HIV vulnerability in racialized communities is reinforced by HIV stigma intersecting with prejudice and discrimination associated with racism, gendered oppression, homophobia, and economic marginalization. Stigma and discrimination impede public health efforts in HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care.

Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended as healthier and more sustainable than formula feeding. It produces less waste, requires fewer resources, and has a smaller environmental impact. Breastfeeding has some environmental impact related to increased maternal dietary needs and the use of feeding accessories. In light of the global climate emergency and suboptimal breastfeeding rates, targeted interventions are urgently needed to promote sustainable infant feeding practices. There are few studies that evaluate sustainability interventions in the postpartum period.

Low back pain (LBP) is the most common chronic pain condition in veterans, but the effectiveness of standard management approaches is modest. Addressing the psychological risk factors of chronic pain that are often observed in this population (eg, anxiety, depression, stress and mood disorders) may be important to enhance outcomes. Psychologically informed physiotherapy (PiP) identifies and mitigates the negative impacts of emotional and cognitive factors alongside the biomedical aspects of chronic LBP to improve physical functioning and has shown promising results in this population. However, residual pain and disability often persist in veterans. The combination of PiP with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to the prefrontal cortex may enhance its effectiveness by modulating cognition, emotion, and pain perception.

For root canal procedures to be successful, adequate bond strength between endodontic sealer and post material is necessary. For postendodontic restorations, glass fiber posts and carbon fiber posts are frequently used. Depending on the type of root canal sealer used, such posts may work differently. The chemical composition and characteristics of calcium hydroxide–based, resin-based, and bioceramic-based sealers vary, which may have an impact on the posts’ binding strength. Therefore, optimizing rehabilitative results requires an understanding of these connections.

University students’ mental health problems are highly prevalent globally, which underlines the need for accessible and cost-effective mental health services in universities. Loneliness is a key risk factor for mental-health problems, and it disproportionately affects students from minority backgrounds. Therefore, addressing loneliness and fostering inclusion and equality can be crucial strategies for enhancing student wellbeing.

Mental disorders are highly prevalent and significantly impact individuals and society. Patients suffering from long-term, severe mental disorders with functional impairment and reduced quality of life often have a history of adolescent onset anxiety and depressive disorders. Despite the long-term cost to both the patients and society, studies examining the various treatment effect over time, across diagnoses and experienced for the patients are scarce.

The HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men (MSM) students in China is substantially higher than that in the general student population.However, targeted interventions for this vulnerable population remain limited. While digital technologies and peer-led approaches have shown promise in HIV prevention among MSM, their application in university settings is underexplored.