JMIR Formative Research

Although rates of tobacco use in California have declined overall, adults in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV), particularly Hispanic/Latinos (“Latinos”), have disproportionately high rates of tobacco use, tobacco-related illness, and mortality. Residents of the SJV also have limited access to cessation support services, and need accessible, non-clinical alternatives. Given high smartphone use rates among Latinos and residents of rural communities, digital health tools may present an accessible approach to expand cessation support.

Maintaining mobility is important for older adults to retain independence and reduce fall risk. Wearable technology like fitness trackers and smartwatches can track physical activity. Unfortunately, gait recognition algorithms are often calibrated using younger adults and are not accurate for older adults, especially when using mobility aids.

This study explores how the specific nature of regulating healthcare AI influences managing its deployment. FDA and EC regulations focus on pre-market approval yet fail to address monitoring of AI post-marketing. Better regulations for “adaptive” AI systems are needed. These are considered with precaution as “high-risk” and prohibited from fully autonomous diagnosis. As AI models are exposed to new data in clinical settings, their performance may degrade or alter over time, necessitating ongoing oversight. This often means that healthcare providers must step into the regulatory ambiguity zone to develop local protocols for quality assurance during early adoption phases.

The significance of parenting practices for children’s development and health has gained increased attention, aligning with life course perspectives on health. Adverse childhood experiences are widespread and linked to impaired parenting in adulthood. Understanding how expectant parents reflect on their childhoods, and how such reflections can be fostered as part of antenatal care, is essential for supporting healthier caregiving and helping to break cycles of intergenerational adversity.

The Break Method is a structured, behavior-based emotional reconditioning program designed to help individuals gain insight into patterns of emotional dysregulation and reprogram behavioral responses rooted in past experiences. Although it has been widely adopted in private and small-group settings, empirical evidence supporting its effectiveness remains limited. With increasing interest in accessible, scalable, and personalized mental health interventions, evaluating the outcomes of such programs is essential for informing future implementation and research.

Older adults undergoing surgery face increased risks of postoperative neurocognitive disorders which impair cognitive functions. Analog neurocognitive tests are commonly used, but digital tests offer faster, more accessible assessments.

Osteoporosis-related fractures significantly impact older adults, often leading to disability and even premature death. While pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions are widely recommended for managing osteoporosis, adherence to these interventions remains low. To address this challenge, we developed the Healthy Bone digital platform (desktop, mobile application, and smart TV internet-based) for use in clinical settings to improve disease management and treatment adherence. It integrates a multimedia health-related behavioral change program with a patient monitoring and management system.

Physical activity and sleep prescriptions are indicated for the treatment of psychiatric disorders among youth. However, there is limited clinical adoption of these practices. Exergaming (ie, games that require physical activity) is a feasible intervention to promote physical activity and sleep hygiene and is appealing to youth given their interest in video gaming. Integrating exergaming prescriptions into clinical mental health practices may offer an opportunity to expand access to these interventions, yet pragmatic considerations for adopting these programs are poorly understood.

The social media trend #fitspiration aims to positively impact on its users’ health, but studies have shown detrimental effects as it mainly involves stereotypical and barely achievable body images and health behaviors. During puberty, adolescents form their identity and body image, making it essential to examine social media’s influence on their health.

Maintaining and motivating physical functioning among older adults has substantial health-related benefits, such as reducing the risk of falls and increasing the opportunities for independent living. Supporting preventive actions among older adults also has socioeconomic relevance. Previous studies have shown that digital tools involving video feedback can facilitate reflection and learning by encouraging active engagement.

Over the past two decades, use of social media has grown among US adults. Common social media platforms include Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), LinkedIn, and Tiktok. People proactively use social media for a variety of purposes including searching for health information, peer-to-peer social support, and health-related information sharing. As social media platforms often serve as sources of health information, understanding how, if at all, people use these platforms may inform future behavioral interventions delivered via social media. Additionally, a better understanding of social engagement may have implications for public health messaging and patient-centered communication.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is vital for improving patient outcomes in medical emergencies. Both laypersons and healthcare professionals often seek guidance on performing CPR. In today's digital age, many turn to easily accessible platforms like YouTube for practical skills.