JMIR Research Protocols

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity during disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) tapering is commonly monitored using in-person clinical assessment and the 28-joint Disease Activity Score with C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP). Although effective, this approach is resource intensive and may be inconvenient for patients. Remote monitoring with patient-reported outcomes and wearable sensors may enable earlier flare detection and support safer, more personalized tapering pathways. Prior pilot work suggests that accelerometry-derived physical activity, mobility, and sleep metrics correlate with RA disease activity and are acceptable to patients.

A significant proportion of patients with major depressive disorder do not achieve remission after 2 antidepressant trials and are considered to have treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an effective treatment for TRD. However, relapse rates among remitters within the first year post treatment are significant, and there are no validated markers of relapse. Wearable devices have shown positive results for longitudinal monitoring of health metrics, and may be a promising tool for early detection of relapse following rTMS treatment.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) patients continue to experience stigma, discrimination, and inadequate knowledge among mental health and medical professionals. These barriers can negatively impact health care outcomes, leading to delayed treatment, mistrust, and unmet medical needs within LGBTQI+ communities. Providing culturally competent care to LGBTQI+ people remains a critical challenge within health and social care. The development and use of reliable and valid assessments examining LGBTQI+ health care professional competency continue to be important in understanding and ameliorating LGBTQI+ health inequalities.

The leading cause of disability worldwide is low back pain. The incidence of herniated disc is approximately 5 to 20 cases per 1000 adults per year, and herniated disc is prevalent in people in their third to fifth decade of life, with a male-to-female ratio of 2:1. In Ayurveda, the condition grudhrasi is considered analogous to radiculopathy. In conventional medicine, the first line of treatment includes conservative management, such as patient education, manual therapy, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Ayurvedic treatments are used to manage lumbar radiculopathy.

There is a need for efficient and engaging strategies that will mitigate the effects of aging on cognitive and physical functions while keeping users motivated for long-term adherence.

Increasing evidence suggests that diet influences gut microbiota composition and systemic inflammation, which in turn may affect brain health, cognitive function, and mood regulation. Elevated levels of systemic inflammation have been associated with reduced resting-state functional connectivity within the default mode network, a pattern linked to poorer cognitive performance in older adults. Dietary interventions incorporating anti-inflammatory foods, such as oat bran and chickpeas, may help attenuate low-grade inflammation and promote healthier dietary behaviors in aging populations.

Suicide is a leading cause of preventable mortality and a major contributor to years of life lost. Many people who later die by suicide present to emergency departments in the months before death, often for reasons not explicitly related to self-harm and without receiving a risk assessment. Universal suicide risk screening in emergency care can improve detection but is difficult to implement because of time constraints, workflow disruption, and limited capacity to respond to increased identification.

Frontline workers are routinely exposed to traumatic and highly stressful events. Although the psychological effects of occupational trauma are well established, evidence suggests that these effects extend beyond the family members, affecting their psychological health, relationships, and functioning. Reported outcomes include secondary traumatic stress, psychological distress, caregiver burden, relationship difficulties, disrupted family functioning, and broader social impacts. However, evidence remains fragmented across occupational groups, disciplines, methodological approaches, and sociocultural contexts, limiting understanding of how occupational trauma affects families and hindering the development of family-inclusive, trauma-informed policies and services.

Health inequities have been a public health challenge for decades, exacerbated by disadvantages such as housing precarity, food insecurity, social disconnection, and discrimination, which are key social and structural health determinants. Young people who experience social disadvantages also experience a greater burden of health inequities. However, there has been limited research engaging youth in setting priorities for action and knowledge generation.

(therapeutic emesis) and (therapeutic purgation) are the two major biopurification procedures enlisted in Ayurveda. Studies explicitly showcasing their clinical efficacy are documented in substantial numbers. (seasonal purification) imparts rejuvenation in healthy individuals. However, its efficacy for health span and decelerating the aging process in healthy individuals remains a gray area.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted over 620 million people, including approximately 9 million in Africa, and introduced uncertainties, especially regarding coinfection with tuberculosis (TB) or HIV. TB and HIV, both global epidemics, disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries. Namibia and Botswana have reported high mortality rates due to TB and HIV, highlighting ongoing challenges.

Population aging is rapidly reshaping the Brazilian labor force, increasing the participation of adults aged 50 years and older and intensifying the need for safe, inclusive, and age‑friendly workplaces. Preventive behaviors at work play a vital role in protecting workers’ physical, social, and psychological health; however, no validated Brazilian Portuguese instrument is currently available to measure the frequency of these behaviors. The Preventive Behaviors at Work Frequency Scale (Échelle de Fréquence des Comportements Préventifs au Travail), developed in Canada, evaluates how often workers adopt 6 key preventive behaviors grounded in the model of preventive behaviors at work. A culturally adapted and psychometrically validated version is therefore needed to support occupational health research, surveillance, and evidence-based interventions for Brazilian older workers.