scholarly journals Behavioral Impacts, Acceptability, and Recommendations for Ecological Momentary Assessment among Youth Experiencing Homelessness: A Qualitative Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darlene Acorda ◽  
Michael Businelle ◽  
Diane Santa Maria
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽  
Homeless Youth ◽  
Emotional Awareness ◽  
Perceived Benefits ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Exit Interviews ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Momentary Assessment

BACKGROUND Background: The use of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to study youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) behaviors is an emerging area of research. Despite high rates of participation and potential clinical utility, few studies have investigated best practices and recommendations for EMA from the YEH perspective. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to describe the perceived benefits, usability, acceptability, and barriers to the use of EMA from the homeless youth perspective. METHODS YEH were recruited from a larger EMA study. Semi-structured exit interviews were performed using an interview guide that focused on the YEH experience with the EMA app, including perceived barriers and recommendations for future studies. Data analyses employed an inductive approach with thematic analysis to identify major themes and subthemes. RESULTS A total of 18 YEH aged 19-24 participated in individual and group exit interviews. EMA was highly acceptable to YEH and they found the app and survey easy to navigate. Perceived benefits included increased behavioral and emotional awareness with some YEH reporting a decrease in their high-risk behaviors as a result of participation. Another significant perceived benefit was the ability to use the phones for social support and make connections to family, friends, and potential employers. Barriers were primarily survey and technology related. Survey-related barriers included the redundancy of questions, the lack of customizable responses, and the timing of survey administration. Technology-related barriers included the “freezing” of the app, battery problems, and connectivity issues. Recommendations for future studies included the need to provide real-time mental health support for symptomatic youth, creating individually customized questions, and testing the use of personalized motivational messages that respond to the EMA data in real-time. CONCLUSIONS YEH are highly receptive to the use of EMA methodology. Further studies are warranted to assess whether participation improves behavior change. More research is needed to understand the impact of EMA on YEH behaviors. Incorporating the YEH perspective in the design and implementation of EMA studies may help minimize barriers, increase acceptability, and improve participation rates in this hard-to-reach, disconnected population.

Why Ecological Momentary Assessment Surveys Go Incomplete?: When It Happens and How It Impacts Data

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Hsiang Wu ◽  
Jingjing Xu ◽  
Elizabeth Stangl ◽  
Shareka Pentony ◽  
Dhruv Vyas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Data Logging ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Real Time Data ◽  
Report Data ◽  
Self Report Data ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Momentary Assessment

Abstract Background Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) often requires respondents to complete surveys in the moment to report real-time experiences. Because EMA may seem disruptive or intrusive, respondents may not complete surveys as directed in certain circumstances. Purpose This article aims to determine the effect of environmental characteristics on the likelihood of instances where respondents do not complete EMA surveys (referred to as survey incompletion), and to estimate the impact of survey incompletion on EMA self-report data. Research Design An observational study. Study Sample Ten adults hearing aid (HA) users. Data Collection and Analysis Experienced, bilateral HA users were recruited and fit with study HAs. The study HAs were equipped with real-time data loggers, an algorithm that logged the data generated by HAs (e.g., overall sound level, environment classification, and feature status including microphone mode and amount of gain reduction). The study HAs were also connected via Bluetooth to a smartphone app, which collected the real-time data logging data as well as presented the participants with EMA surveys about their listening environments and experiences. The participants were sent out to wear the HAs and complete surveys for 1 week. Real-time data logging was triggered when participants completed surveys and when participants ignored or snoozed surveys. Data logging data were used to estimate the effect of environmental characteristics on the likelihood of survey incompletion, and to predict participants' responses to survey questions in the instances of survey incompletion. Results Across the 10 participants, 715 surveys were completed and survey incompletion occurred 228 times. Mixed effects logistic regression models indicated that survey incompletion was more likely to happen in the environments that were less quiet and contained more speech, noise, and machine sounds, and in the environments wherein directional microphones and noise reduction algorithms were enabled. The results of survey response prediction further indicated that the participants could have reported more challenging environments and more listening difficulty in the instances of survey incompletion. However, the difference in the distribution of survey responses between the observed responses and the combined observed and predicted responses was small. Conclusion The present study indicates that EMA survey incompletion occurs systematically. Although survey incompletion could bias EMA self-report data, the impact is likely to be small.

scholarly journals Understanding the Link between Victimization and Alcohol Use among Homeless Youth Using Ecological Momentary Assessment

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 237802311877983 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly A. Tyler ◽  
Kristen Olson ◽  
Colleen M. Ray
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽  
Homeless Youth ◽  
Short Message Service ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Short Message ◽  
Drinking Alcohol ◽  
Message Service ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
Momentary Assessment

Most prior research on victimization and alcohol use among homeless youth is retrospective and thus does not allow researchers to determine the sequencing of these events. We address this gap using ecological momentary assessment via short message service surveying with homeless youth during 30 days. Multilevel binary logistic regression results revealed that experiencing physical or sexual victimization on a specific day was positively associated with youth’s drinking alcohol later that day. Because ecological momentary assessment via short message service allows for such specificity, we can link a specific victimization experience with a current drinking episode. Thus, the time ordering of daily events in the current study is a significant improvement over prior research. Understanding the timing between victimization and drinking alcohol is also important for intervention with this underserved population.

Examining the impact of social media on mood and body dissatisfaction using ecological momentary assessment

2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 502-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brooke L. Bennett ◽  
Brooke L. Whisenhunt ◽  
Danae L. Hudson ◽  
Allison F. Wagner ◽  
Janet D. Latner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Body Dissatisfaction ◽  
Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Momentary Assessment
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