JMIR Research Protocols

Bereavement is a common and inevitable part of life. However, it is also difficult and disruptive. Prolonged grief disorder has recently been added to the , and the . Grief is a deeply cultural experience; however, most research about grief and grief intervention is conducted in Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) countries. Support for grief is often limited and difficult to access. We propose that ecological momentary interventions (EMIs) present an opportunity to widen access to grief support and develop culturally relevant interventions, given EMIs’ easy accessibility and opportunity to offer self-help support in people’s natural environments.

Sedentary behavior is associated with negative health outcomes. High levels of sedentary behavior are common among Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD) caregivers already at risk of other adverse health effects, yet few interventions target sedentary behavior within this population. There is a need for trials intended to reduce time spent sedentary, which may be achievable by increasing the frequency of disruptions to sedentary time. Remotely delivered behavior change techniques (BCTs) may be effective for disrupting sedentary behavior in this population through short bursts of walking, although it is unclear how BCTs promote this behavior and potentially act via the hypothesized mechanism of behavioral automaticity.

Lasers have wide applications in medicine but are associated with pain and anxiety, particularly in younger patients. Pain mitigation is often limited to topical anesthetics in the outpatient setting. Distraction techniques are limited by the need for ocular protection, which can include eye patches that completely occlude vision. Virtual reality (VR) is effective at managing procedural pain and anxiety during other short medical procedures and is a promising tool for this population.

Liver cirrhosis leads to an impaired liver function with reduced metabolic capacity, which affects the pharmacokinetics of several drugs, requiring dose adjustments. Although limited literature provides guidance on appropriate administration of drugs in cirrhosis, no guidelines currently exist for dose selection or adjustment.

Most people with dementia reside in the community and are cared for by family members. Family caregivers play an essential role in supporting their loved ones with dementia and require adequate education and support to address their care needs. In recent years, there has been growing interest in the use of chatbot technologies in health care, particularly to provide education and support for caregivers. However, evidence on the development, use, and effectiveness of these technologies in dementia care remains limited.

Postoperative insomnia is one of the common complaints caused by spinal metastatic cancer surgery. It affects patients’ functional recovery, greatly reduces their quality of life, and adversely impacts disease prognosis. Compared with traditional pharmacological treatments, acupuncture is an alternative therapy for postoperative insomnia. However, standardized, high-quality randomized controlled trials on electroacupuncture for postoperative insomnia in patients with spinal metastasis (SM) are scarce, and there is a lack of clear inclusion criteria for this specific population. Postoperative insomnia in patients with SM has distinct clinical characteristics compared with general cancer-related insomnia, necessitating targeted investigation.

Heavy cannabis use may impact neurocognitive functions, particularly prefrontal and limbic systems responsible for risk/reward processing and executive function, which are essential for certain health behaviors, such as HIV prevention. Rigorous research into the effects of cannabis on neurocognitive functions remains limited, particularly among populations with a high burden of HIV.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a length-dependent, symmetric sensorimotor polyneuropathy with a substantial global and regional burden. Current pharmacologic options are largely symptomatic and do not modify the disease. Lymphovenous bypass (LVB), a supermicrosurgical procedure established for lymphedema, may modulate lymphatic-immune-microvascular dysfunction relevant to DPN.

The Collaborative Model Building Project to Understand Sexual Violence (CAMPUS) study seeks to address alcohol-involved sexual violence (AISV) by collaboratively developing an agent-based model (ABM) that can support the decisions of college campuses seeking to address this issue among students. As a first step toward ABM development, we used collaborative model building (CMB), an adaptation of group model building, to co-develop a causal loop diagram (CLD) depicting key causes and effects of AISV and opportunities for intervention. Our goal of cocreating a CLD that can be translated into an ABM to support intervention decision-making differentiates our approach from other participatory systems science studies.

Mental health conditions impose a significant burden worldwide, often remaining untreated due to multiple demand- and supply-side barriers such as stigma, limited awareness, and poor access to services. Mobile-based interventions offer a scalable solution to address some of these barriers, including low rates of help-seeking. However, most evidence has emerged from high-income countries, with minimal research in the Indian setting, particularly among psychologically distressed individuals not currently seeking treatment.

Few children achieve the recommended daily levels of physical activity. Active school transportation (AST) offers a valuable opportunity to increase children’s physical activity. Initiatives promoting AST in early childhood are important and have the potential to reverse the decline in physical activity.

Children’s leisure time has changed in recent decades—with more time spent on screen media and less time face-to-face with peers—potentially affecting their physical and mental well-being.