scholarly journals A Mobile App to Identify Lifestyle Indicators Related to Undergraduate Mental Health (Smart Healthy Campus): Observational App-Based Ecological Momentary Assessment (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Brogly ◽  
J Kevin Shoemaker ◽  
Daniel J Lizotte ◽  
Jacqueline K Kueper ◽  
Michael Bauer
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽  
Positive Mental Health ◽  
Validated Questionnaires ◽  
Undergraduate Studies ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
Momentary Assessment

BACKGROUND Undergraduate studies are challenging, and mental health issues can frequently occur in undergraduate students, straining campus resources that are already in demand for somatic problems. Cost-effective measures with ubiquitous devices, such as smartphones, offer the potential to deliver targeted interventions to monitor and affect lifestyle, which may result in improvements to student mental health. However, the avenues by which this can be done are not particularly well understood, especially in the Canadian context. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to deploy an initial version of the Smart Healthy Campus app at Western University, Canada, and to analyze corresponding data for associations between psychosocial factors (measured by a questionnaire) and behaviors associated with lifestyle (measured by smartphone sensors). METHODS This preliminary study was conducted as an observational app-based ecological momentary assessment. Undergraduate students were recruited over email, and sampling using a custom 7-item questionnaire occurred on a weekly basis. RESULTS First, the 7-item Smart Healthy Campus questionnaire, derived from fully validated questionnaires—such as the Brief Resilience Scale; General Anxiety Disorder-7; and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale–21—was shown to significantly correlate with the mental health domains of these validated questionnaires, illustrating that it is a viable tool for a momentary assessment of an overview of undergraduate mental health. Second, data collected through the app were analyzed. There were 312 weekly responses and 813 sensor samples from 139 participants from March 2019 to March 2020; data collection concluded when COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. Demographic information was not collected in this preliminary study because of technical limitations. Approximately 69.8% (97/139) of participants only completed one survey, possibly because of the absence of any incentive. Given the limited amount of data, analysis was not conducted with respect to time, so all data were analyzed as a single collection. On the basis of mean rank, students showing more positive mental health through higher questionnaire scores tended to spend more time completing questionnaires, showed more signs of physical activity based on pedometers, and had their devices running less and plugged in charging less when sampled. In addition, based on mean rank, students on campus tended to report more positive mental health through higher questionnaire scores compared with those who were sampled off campus. Some data from students found in or near residences were also briefly examined. CONCLUSIONS Given these limited data, participants tended to report a more positive overview of mental health when on campus and when showing signs of higher levels of physical activity. These early findings suggest that device sensors related to physical activity and location are useful for monitoring undergraduate students and designing interventions. However, much more sensor data are needed going forward, especially given the sweeping changes in undergraduate studies due to COVID-19.

scholarly journals Mental Health and Social Contact During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 216770262110178
Author(s):  
Eiko I. Fried ◽  
Faidra Papanikolaou ◽  
Sacha Epskamp
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Dynamic Network ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Network Models ◽  
Dynamic Network Models ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
Momentary Assessment

For many students, the COVID-19 pandemic caused once-in-a-lifetime disruptions of daily life. In March 2020, during the beginning of the outbreak in the Netherlands, we used ecological momentary assessment to follow 80 undergraduate students four times per day for 14 days to assess mental health, social contact, and COVID-19-related variables. Despite rapidly increasing rates of infections and deaths, we observed decreases in anxiety, loneliness, and COVID-19-related concerns, especially in the first few days. Other mental health variables, such as stress levels, remained stable, whereas depressive symptoms increased. Despite social-distancing measures implemented by the Dutch government halfway through our study, students showed no changes in the frequency of in-person social activities. Dynamic network models identified potential vicious cycles between mental health variables and being alone, which predicted concerns about COVID-19 and was followed by further mental health problems. Findings and implications are discussed in detail.

scholarly journals An ecological momentary assessment study of physical activity behaviors among mothers of toddlers from low-income households

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine L. Campbell ◽  
Yan Wang ◽  
Ann Pulling Kuhn ◽  
Maureen M. Black ◽  
Erin R. Hager
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Activity Count ◽  
Group Relations ◽  
Environment Factors ◽  
Group Relation ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
Momentary Assessment

Abstract Background Mothers of young children from low-income communities may be vulnerable to barriers associated with low physical activity. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between home environment factors and maternal physical activity among mothers of toddlers. Methods Mothers of toddlers (n = 200) recruited from low-income communities simultaneously wore an ankle-placed accelerometer and were given a personal digital assistant for ecological momentary assessment. Mothers received randomly prompted questions about their current environment, activity, and social setting several times a day over eight consecutive days. Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects regression models with random intercepts; within-group and between-group relations between physical activity and environment factors were disaggregated. Results Within-group relations included higher physical activity counts for specific mothers with television off versus on (95% CI = 130.45, 199.17), children absent versus present (95% CI = 82.00, 3.43), engaging with a child versus not (95% CI = 52.66, 127.63), and outside versus inside location (95% CI = 277.74, 392.67). Between-group relations included higher physical activity on average when other adults were absent versus present (95% CI = − 282.63, − 46.95). Recruitment site (urban vs. semi-urban) significantly moderated the within-group relation between being outside versus inside and activity count (β = − 243.12, 95% CI = − 358.74, − 127.47), and showed stronger relations among urban mothers (β = 440.33, 95% CI = 358.41, 522.25), than semi-urban (β = 190.37, 95% CI = 109.64, 271.11). Maternal body weight significantly moderated the within-group relation between being located outside versus inside the home and activity count (β for interaction = − 188.67, 95% CI = − 308.95, − 68.39), with a stronger relation among mothers with normal weight (β = 451.62, 95% CI = 345.51, 557.73), than mothers with overweight/obesity (β = 271.95, 95% CI = 204.26, 339.64). Conclusions This study highlights home environmental factors, including screen time, the presence of others (adults and children), and location (i.e., outside versus inside) that may relate to maternal physical activity behaviors. Understanding factors associated with physical activity could reduce physical activity disparities. Trial registry ClinicalTrials. NCT02615158, April 2006

scholarly journals Exploring Feelings of Pleasure and Purpose Associated With Older People’s Activities Using Ecological Momentary Analysis: An Observational Study

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Karen E. Hancock ◽  
Paul Downward ◽  
Lauren B. Sherar
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽  
Physical Activity Guidelines ◽  
Outdoor Activities ◽  
Highly Active ◽  
Actigraph Accelerometer ◽  
Confounding Variables ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
Momentary Assessment ◽  
Sedentary Activities

Momentary feelings of pleasure and purpose can be sources of intrinsic motivation, but momentary purpose is rarely studied. Activities, contexts, and feelings of retired/semiretired adults (n = 67, aged 50–78 years) were captured using ecological momentary assessment. Participants provided 2,065 valid responses to six daily smartphone surveys for 7 days. Physical activity was measured by waist-worn ActiGraph accelerometer. Pleasure (measured by affective happiness) and purpose outcomes were regressed on activities, context, and potential confounding variables. Interactions between activities and contexts were explored. Participants were highly active: 98.5% met physical activity guidelines. Sedentary activities were negatively associated with sense of purpose, especially when indoors. However, social sedentary activities were positively associated with feelings of happiness. Active, social outdoor activities were positively associated with both outcomes. Less sedentary participants experienced greater happiness and purpose during all their activities. Context matters: active, social, and outdoor activities seem to be more appealing to older adults.

scholarly journals Exploring feelings of pleasure and purpose associated with older people’s activities using ecological momentary analysis: an observational study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.E. Hancock ◽  
P. Downward ◽  
L.B. Sherar
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽  
Physical Activity Guidelines ◽  
Outdoor Activities ◽  
Highly Active ◽  
Actigraph Accelerometer ◽  
Confounding Variables ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
Momentary Assessment ◽  
Sedentary Activities

Abstract Momentary feelings of pleasure and purpose can be sources of intrinsic motivation, but momentary purpose is rarely studied. Activities, contexts and feelings of retired/semi-retired adults (n=67, aged 50-78y) were captured using ecological momentary assessment. Participants provided 2,065 valid responses to six daily smartphone surveys for seven days. Physical activity was measured by waist-worn Actigraph accelerometer. Pleasure (measured by affective happiness) and purpose outcomes were regressed on activities, context and potential confounding variables. Interactions between activities and contexts were explored.Participants were highly active: 98.5% met physical activity guidelines. Sedentary activities were negatively associated with sense of purpose, especially when indoors. However, social sedentary activities were positively associated with feelings of happiness. Active, social outdoor activities were positively associated with both outcomes. Less sedentary participants experienced greater happiness and purpose during all their activities. Context matters: active, social and outdoor activities seem to be more appealing to older adults.

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