Participant Compliance With Ecological Momentary Assessment in Movement Behavior Research Among Adolescents and Emerging Adults: Systematic Review
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) compliance in youth movement studies is influenced by prompt frequency and platform. Optimizing EMA protocols requires balancing participant burden with data needs for physical activity research.
Area Of Science
- Behavioral Science
- Public Health
- Digital Health
Background
- Adolescence and emerging adulthood are critical periods for lifestyle behavior changes.
- Understanding factors influencing physical activity and sedentary time in youth is crucial for intervention development.
- Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) offers real-time behavioral data but faces compliance challenges due to participant burden.
Purpose Of The Study
- To systematically review compliance in EMA studies of adolescent and emerging adult movement behaviors.
- To examine how EMA delivery schemes, platforms, prompting schedules, and compensation affect compliance and study quality.
Main Methods
- A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science.
- Included studies (n=52) assessed movement behaviors using EMA and reported compliance data.
- Study quality was evaluated using a modified Checklist for Reporting of EMA Studies (CREMAS).
Main Results
- EMA platform choice impacts compliance; smartphone/app-based EMAs may reduce burden, though web-based formats are common.
- Study length did not significantly affect compliance.
- Prompting frequency is critical: fewer daily prompts increase compliance but may yield less data; more frequent prompts yield richer data but increase burden.
Conclusions
- Researchers must balance participant burden with data requirements when designing EMA protocols.
- Greater consistency and specificity in reporting EMA procedures are needed to optimize compliance in youth physical activity and sedentary time studies.
