JMIR Research Protocols

Despite having the tools at our disposal to enable an adequate food supply for all people, inequities in food acquisition, distribution, and most importantly, food sovereignty, worsen food insecurity. The detrimental impact of climate change on food systems and mental health is further exacerbated by a lack of food sovereignty. We urgently require innovative solutions to enable food sovereignty, minimize food insecurity, and address climate change–related mental distress (ie, solastalgia). Indigenous communities have a wealth of Traditional Knowledge for climate change adaptation and preparedness to strengthen food systems. Traditional Knowledge combined with Western methods can revolutionize ethical data collection, engagement, and knowledge mobilization.

The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has severely hit Canadian nursing facilities (81% of deaths). To this toll, public health measures (eg, visitation restriction) have subsequently deepened the social isolation and loneliness of residents in nursing facilities (NFs), especially those in linguistic minority settings: Anglophone institutions in Quebec and Francophone institutions outside Quebec. However, very few COVID-19 initiatives targeting these populations specifically have been documented. Given the limited number of NFs serving linguistic minorities in Canadian populations, families and loved ones often live far from these facilities, sometimes even in other provinces. This context places the digital solutions as particularly relevant for the present COVID-19 pandemic as well as in the post–COVID-19 era.

Malaria is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in children aged under 5 years in Mozambique. The World Health Organization recommends seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC), the administration of four monthly courses of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) and amodiaquine (AQ), to children aged 3-59 months during rainy season. However, as resistance to SP is widespread in East and Southern Africa, SMC has so far only been implemented across the Sahel in West Africa.

The current understanding of advanced Parkinson disease (PD) and its treatment is largely based on data from outpatient visits. The most advanced and disabled individuals with PD are disconnected from both care and research. A previous pilot study among older, multimorbid patients with advanced PD demonstrated the feasibility of interdisciplinary home visits to reach the target population, improve care quality, and potentially avoid institutionalization.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating and prevalent anxiety disorder. Although the basal ganglia and frontal cortex are the brain regions that are most commonly hypothesized to be involved in OCD, the exact pathophysiology is unknown. By observing the effects of proven treatments on brain activation levels, the cause of OCD can be better understood. Currently, the gold standard treatment for OCD is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with exposure and response prevention. However, this is often temporally and geographically inaccessible, time consuming, and costly. Fortunately, CBT can be effectively delivered using the internet (electronically delivered CBT [e-CBT]) because of its structured nature, thus addressing these barriers.

Mental health conditions are prevalent among Canadians and are a leading cause of disability. Each year, 1 in 5 Canadians experiences a mental health issue. A total of 5% of people aged ≥65 years perceive their mental health as fair or poor, and 6.3% of them have mood disorders. Regarding older adults with cognitive impairments such as dementia, up to 40%-50% of them experience depression at some point. We believe that older adults can benefit significantly from information and telecommunication technologies as a strategy for improving mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, while simultaneously improving their quality of life. 3Scape Systems Inc is an Alberta-based private company that has produced a series of specialized 3D videos designed to simulate real-life events and engage individuals living with mental health disorders and cognitive impairments such as dementia.

Psychological distress, isolation, feelings of powerlessness, and limited social support are realities faced by temporary migrant live-in caregivers in Canada. Furthermore, they experience multiple barriers in accessing mental health services due to their long work hours, limited knowledge of health resources, precarious employment, and immigration status.

Diabetes mellitus is a major health problem among people with physical disabilities. Health coaching has been proven to be an effective approach in terms of behavioral changes, patient self-efficacy, adherence to treatment, health service use, and health outcomes. Telehealth systems combined with health coaching have the potential to improve the quality of health care by increasing access to services. Treatment fidelity is particularly important for behavior change studies; however, fidelity protocols are inadequately administered and reported in the literature.

Individuals with disabilities and type 2 diabetes require self-management programs that are accessible, sustainable, inclusive, and adaptable. Health coaching has been shown to be an effective approach for improving behavioral changes in self-management. Health coaching combined with telehealth technology has the potential to improve the overall quality of and access to health services.

The identification of interconnected health risks during the perinatal period offers an opportunity to prevent negative maternal and infant health outcomes. Marijuana, opioid, and other substance use during pregnancy is a rapidly growing public health concern with significant and costly health consequences for the woman and the developing fetus. Pregnant persons who misuse substances are disproportionately more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors resulting in sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which are on the rise in this population and can lead to adverse effects on maternal health and on fetal development.

Multidisciplinary tumor boards play a pivotal role in the patient-centered clinical management and in the decision-making process to provide best evidence-based, diagnostic, and therapeutic care to patients with cancer. Among the barriers to achieve an efficient multidisciplinary tumor board, lack of time and geographical distance play a major role. Therefore, the elaboration of an efficient virtual multidisciplinary tumor board (VMTB) is a key point to successfully obtain an oncology team and implement a network among health professionals and institutions. This need is stronger than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2018, 2 million Americans met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition diagnostic criteria for an opioid use disorder, and 9.9 million Americans had misused prescription pain relievers the previous year. Despite a rapid increase in opioid misuse, opioid use disorders, and overdoses, data are limited on the behavioral and contextual risks as well as the protective factors fueling the opioid epidemic in some hard hit US cities—Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. Opioid use also contributes to the risk of other health problems such as HIV and hepatitis C virus infections or mental health disorders and is linked to behavioral and environmental risks (eg, homelessness, experiences of violence, involvement in the justice system). Knowledge of the relationships between these linked vulnerabilities and how they influence service utilization is critical to effective policy and interventions.