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Smartphone-Based Ecological Momentary Assessment Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Observational Feasibility and
Xuan Liang1,2, Su Hyun Park1,2
1Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Background:
Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) enables repeated, real-time measurement of emotional states, behaviors, and contextual exposures in individuals' daily lives. Although EMA has been increasingly used in health and behavioral research, evidence regarding the feasibility, compliance, and acceptability of smartphone-based EMA among older adults in Asian settings remains limited.
Objective:
This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, EMA compliance, usability, and acceptability of a 14-day smartphone-based EMA protocol among community-dwelling older adults in Singapore.
Methods:
The data came from the Ecological Momentary Assessment in Ageing study, a smartphone-based EMA study designed to assess mental well-being, lifestyle behaviors, and perceived neighborhood environment among older adults. Adults aged 65 years or older in Singapore were enrolled and asked to complete 5 EMA prompts per day over 14 consecutive days using a smartphone app. Each EMA prompt remained available for up to 5 hours after delivery. EMA prompts assessed momentary mental well-being, sleep, physical activity, screen time, and perceived neighborhood environment. Feasibility indicators included recruitment and retention rates. EMA compliance was assessed as the proportion of completed EMA prompts out of all scheduled prompts. Usability and acceptability were assessed using a poststudy survey.
Results:
Between June 2025 and December 2025, a total of 186 individuals initially expressed interest in the study, of whom 139 (74.7%) scheduled an appointment, and 132 (95%) of the latter attended the appointment. Of those who attended, 98.5% (130/132) were enrolled. Participants had a mean age of 70.1 (SD 4.04) years; 65.4% (85/130) were female, 90.8% (118/130) were Chinese, and 65.4% (85/130) had postsecondary or university-level education. All enrolled participants completed the 14-day EMA protocol, resulting in 100% (130/130) retention. Across all participants, 99% (9007/9100) of the scheduled EMA prompts were completed. The poststudy usability survey was completed by 96.9% (126/130) of the participants. Among those who completed the poststudy usability survey, 88.1% (111/126) agreed or strongly agreed that the app was easy to use, 84.1% (106/126) agreed or strongly agreed that most people would learn to use it quickly, and 87.3% (110/126) preferred the app over face-to-face interviews. Overall, 91.3% (115/126) reported being satisfied or strongly satisfied with the app, and 100% (126/126) indicated willingness to be contacted for future research.
Conclusions:
A 14-day smartphone-based EMA protocol was highly feasible and acceptable among community-dwelling older adults in Singapore, with high retention and compliance and favorable usability ratings. These findings support the use of EMA methodologies in aging research within Asian contexts and suggest that older adults can successfully engage with repeated smartphone-based assessments when protocols are appropriately designed and supported.
