Objective We compare 5 health informatics research projects that applied community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches with the goal of extending existing CBPR principles to address issues specific to health informatics research.Materials and methods We conducted a cross-case analysis of 5 diverse case studies with 1 common element: integration of CBPR approaches into health informatics research. After reviewing publications and other case-related materials, all coauthors engaged in collaborative discussions focused on CBPR. Researchers mapped each case to an existing CBPR framework, examined each case individually for success factors and barriers, and identified common patterns across cases.Results Benefits of applying CBPR approaches to health informatics research across the cases included the following: developing more relevant research with wider impact, greater engagement with diverse populations, improved internal validity, more rapid translation of research into action, and the development of people. Challenges of applying CBPR to health informatics research included requirements to develop strong, sustainable academic-community partnerships and mismatches related to cultural and temporal factors. Several technology-related challenges, including needs to define ownership of technology outputs and to build technical capacity with community partners, also emerged from our analysis. Finally, we created several principles that extended an existing CBPR framework to specifically address health informatics research requirements.Conclusions Our cross-case analysis yielded valuable insights regarding CBPR implementation in health informatics research and identified valuable lessons useful for future CBPR-based research. The benefits of applying CBPR approaches can be significant, particularly in engaging populations that are typically underserved by health care and in designing patient-facing technology.

We developed four mobile phone prototype applications informed by theoretical models of behavior change to improve the snacking habits of low socioeconomic status (SES) families. Eight primary caregivers and 18 secondary caregivers from low SES backgrounds used the applications to evaluate their usability and usefulness. We found a schism between primary and secondary caregivers regarding whether the applications should be based on games, indicating a need to reconcile these differences to develop a system to support healthy family snacking. In addition, social context, understandable health abstractions, and sensitivity to health values are all important considerations when creating applications in a low SES context. This research contributes design implications for future applications intended to improve snacking habits in low SES families.

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We conducted a 12-week comparative field trial with 20 low socioeconomic status (SES) caregivers from 10 families to explore their use of a sociotechnical mobile application designed to promote healthy snacking, Snack Buddy. Our analysis of the semi-structured interviews, pre/post-intervention instruments, and photo-elicitation interviews suggests that participants gained a greater awareness of their own snacking practices and those of their family members. Users were empowered to adjust their own practices and beliefs around healthy eating because they were more aware of their family's snacking behaviors. We describe the unique social dynamics of how families engaged with each other and the application, which includes positive social support for healthy eating. By providing insights into family interactions and experiences with the application, we identify benefits, challenges, and strategies when designing family-level sociotechnical interventions for healthy behavior.