Evaluating associations between fitspiration and thinspiration content on Instagram and disordered‐eating behaviors using ecological momentary assessment: A registered report

The ecological momentary assessment (EMA) of eating behaviors represents an innovative, detailed and valid approach to capture the complexity of food intake and to overcome limitations of traditional dietary assessment methods. Moreover, EMA studies might generate a large variety of data (e.g., dietary, behavioral, physical, sociopsychological, and contextual information), thereby enabling to examine concurrent exposures and events. Due to the increasing number of studies in this field of research, here we systematically reviewed EMA methods for the assessment of dietary intake in epidemiological studies, and discussed implications and perspectives for future research. Our study summarized several protocols and platforms that may be applied to assess diet in terms of eating frequency, choices, and habits. Nearly 38% of studies used an event-contingent strategy by asking participants to report foods and beverages consumed in real-time at each eating occasion. Instead, approximately 55% of studies used a signal-contingent prompting approach that notified the participants to record their dietary consumption. The remaining studies used a combination of event- and signal-contingent protocols to compare their accuracy or to improve the assessment of dietary data. Although both approaches might improve the accuracy and ecological validity of dietary assessment—also reducing the burden for participants—some limitations should nevertheless be considered. Despite these limitations, our systematic review pointed out that EMA can be applied in various fields of nutritional epidemiology, from the identification of determinants of dietary habits in healthy people to the management of patients with eating or metabolic disorders. However, more efforts should be encouraged to improve the validity and the reliability of EMA and to provide further technological innovations for public health research and interventions.

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Study protocol: One plus one can be greater than two—Ecological momentary assessment for Black prostate cancer survivors and partners

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0255614 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (8) ◽

pp. e0255614

Author(s):

Dalnim Cho ◽

Kathrin Milbury ◽

Yue Liao ◽

Curtis A. Pettaway ◽

Justin R. Gregg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Prostate Cancer ◽

Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽

Eating Behaviors ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Romantic Partners ◽

Lifestyle Behaviors ◽

Retrospective Survey ◽

Ecological Momentary ◽

Momentary Assessment

Given that romantic partners play a pivotal role in patients’ survivorship period, integrating partners into survivorship care and broadening the focus of behavioral interventions from the individual (survivor) to the survivor-partner dyad may make healthy lifestyle behaviors more easily adopted and potentially maintained. Understanding the role of dyadic processes in Black survivors is particularly important because their lifestyle behaviors are poor and they have higher cancer-specific and all-cause mortality. To develop an effective dyadic lifestyle behavior intervention for Black survivors, micro-level investigations of interactions between Black survivors and their partners are necessary to pinpoint how survivors and partners facilitate or hinder each other’s lifestyle behaviors in their natural, everyday lives. Accordingly, the objective of the present study is to fill these gaps using ecological momentary assessment to eventually develop more effective lifestyle interventions for Black prostate cancer (PCa) survivors and partners. A total of 120 dyads (i.e., 240 individuals) who are Black adult survivors diagnosed with non-metastatic PCa and their romantic partners will be asked to complete four assessments per day for 14 consecutive days on a smartphone after an initial retrospective survey. Over the 14 days, participants will be asked to complete a brief survey regarding their lifestyle behaviors (physical activity, sedentariness and eating behaviors), contexts of lifestyle behaviors, stress, and coping. Physical activity and sedentary behavior will be assessed via accelerometer; eating behaviors will be assessed with the Automated Self-Administered 24-hour Dietary Assessment Tool. After completing the 14-day assessment, participants will be asked to complete a final retrospective survey. Results of the proposed study will inform the rigorous development of a theory-based dyadic lifestyle intervention in this vulnerable survivorship population with the ultimate goal to improve overall survival and reduce morbidities (for survivors) and reduce cancer incidence (for partners).

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The effects of fitspiration images on body attributes, mood and eating behaviors: An experimental Ecological Momentary Assessment study in females

Body Image ◽

10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.09.011 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 35 ◽

pp. 279-287

Author(s):

Isabel Krug ◽

Poorna Selvaraja ◽

Matthew Fuller-Tyszkiewicz ◽

Elizabeth K. Hughes ◽

Amy Slater ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽

Eating Behaviors ◽

Assessment Study ◽

Ecological Momentary ◽

Momentary Assessment

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Ecological momentary assessment of gastrointestinal symptoms and risky eating behaviors in Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy patients

Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases ◽

10.1016/j.soard.2020.11.017 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Dale S. Bond ◽

J. Graham Thomas ◽

Daniel B. Jones ◽

Leah M. Schumacher ◽

Jennifer Webster ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gastric Bypass ◽

Sleeve Gastrectomy ◽

Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽

Eating Behaviors ◽

Gastrointestinal Symptoms ◽

Ecological Momentary ◽

Momentary Assessment

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Negative Affect and Situational Antecedents of Eating in Disordered Eating and Normal Population an Ecological Momentary Assessment Study

Journal of Nutritional Biology ◽

10.18314/jnb.v4i2.1384 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 289-297

Author(s):

Chiara Paganini ◽

Gregory Peterson ◽

Jacqueline Mills

Keyword(s):

Negative Affect ◽

Disordered Eating ◽

Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽

Normal Population ◽

Affective State ◽

Repeated Measure ◽

Natural Environments ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Ecological Momentary ◽

Momentary Assessment

The research examined the role of an affective state and immediate surrounds as possible antecedents of eating, utilising Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), repeated assessments of current psychological and situational states in participants’ natural environments. 136 adults [55 with disordered eating (DE) and 81 controls] were recruited from the community and they completed event-contingent and random assessments over a seven-day period. Psychological and situational variables relative to eating were investigated to test if there was a significant difference in negative affect, hunger levels, time and location. To account for the nesting of multiple categorical observations within subjects, data were analysed using generalised estimating equations and autoregressive correlation, a repeated measure MANOVA and paired-sample t-tests.Levels of guilt and disgust were higher at eating episodes in DE participants and feelings of guilt and dissatisfaction with self were higher after eating. Being at home and being alone were both found to act as antecedents for eating in DE, whereas controls were more likely to eat whilst out in social situations. The affective state of an individual and their surrounding context, appear to be integral to the eating patterns of individuals with DE.

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Daily Associations of Stress and Eating in Mother–Child Dyads

Health Education & Behavior ◽

10.1177/1090198116663132 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 44 (3) ◽

pp. 365-369 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Genevieve F. Dunton ◽

Eldin Dzubur ◽

Jimi Huh ◽

Britni R. Belcher ◽

Jaclyn P. Maher ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Perceived Stress ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽

Eating Behaviors ◽

Energy Drinks ◽

Fruit And Vegetables ◽

Unhealthy Eating ◽

Mothers And Children ◽

Ecological Momentary ◽

Momentary Assessment

Background and Aims. This study used Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) in mother–child dyads to examine the day-level associations of stress and eating. Method. Mothers and their 8- to 12-year-old children ( N = 167 dyads) completed between three (weekday) and eight (weekend) EMA survey prompts per day at random nonschool times across 8 days. EMA measured perceived stress, and past 2-hour healthy (i.e., fruit and vegetables) and unhealthy (e.g., pastries/sweets, soda/energy drinks) eating. Results. Children reported more healthy and unhealthy eating on days when their mothers also engaged in more healthy and unhealthy eating, respectively. On days when mothers’ perceived stress was greater than usual, they reported more healthy eating. Discussion and Conclusions. Eating behaviors were coupled between mothers and children at the day level. Mothers’ stress was related to their own eating but not to children’s eating.

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Emotionsregulation bei Depression

Psychologische Rundschau ◽

10.1026/0033-3042/a000172 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 64 (4) ◽

pp. 235-243 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Sven Barnow ◽

Maren Aldinger ◽

Ines Ulrich ◽

Malte Stopsack

Keyword(s):

Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽

Ecological Momentary ◽

Momentary Assessment

Die Anzahl der Studien, die sich mit dem Zusammenhang zwischen Emotionsregulation (ER) und depressiven Störungen befassen, steigt. In diesem Review werden Studien zusammengefasst und metaanalytisch ausgewertet, die den Zusammenhang zwischen ER und Depression mittels Fragebögen bzw. Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) erfassen. Dabei zeigt sich ein ER-Profil welches durch die vermehrte Nutzung von Rumination, Suppression und Vermeidung bei gleichzeitig seltenerem Einsatz von Neubewertung und Problemlösen gekennzeichnet ist. Mit mittleren bis großen Effekten, ist der Zusammenhang zwischen Depression und maladaptiven Strategien besser belegt als bei den adaptiven Formen, wo die Effekte eher moderat ausfielen. EMA-Messungen bestätigen dieses Profil. Da EMA-Studien neben der Häufigkeit des Strategieeinsatzes auch die Erfassung anderer ER-Parameter wie Effektivität und Flexibilität ermöglichen, sollten solche Designs in der ER-Forschung zukünftig vermehrt Einsatz finden.

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Using Personal Cell Phones for Ecological Momentary Assessment

European Psychologist ◽

10.1027/1016-9040/a000127 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 3-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

Emmanuel Kuntsche ◽

Florian Labhart

Keyword(s):

Data Collection ◽

Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽

Communication Systems ◽

Cell Phones ◽

Personal Digital Assistants ◽

Natural Environments ◽

Mobility Patterns ◽

Standard Data ◽

Ecological Momentary ◽

Momentary Assessment

Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) is a way of collecting data in people’s natural environments in real time and has become very popular in social and health sciences. The emergence of personal digital assistants has led to more complex and sophisticated EMA protocols but has also highlighted some important drawbacks. Modern cell phones combine the functionalities of advanced communication systems with those of a handheld computer and offer various additional features to capture and record sound, pictures, locations, and movements. Moreover, most people own a cell phone, are familiar with the different functions, and always carry it with them. This paper describes ways in which cell phones have been used for data collection purposes in the field of social sciences. This includes automated data capture techniques, for example, geolocation for the study of mobility patterns and the use of external sensors for remote health-monitoring research. The paper also describes cell phones as efficient and user-friendly tools for prompt manual data collection, that is, by asking participants to produce or to provide data. This can either be done by means of dedicated applications or by simply using the web browser. We conclude that cell phones offer a variety of advantages and have a great deal of potential for innovative research designs, suggesting they will be among the standard data collection devices for EMA in the coming years.

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