Abstract
BACKGROUND: Latinas are one of the largest and fastest-growing female ethnic groups in the United States and have high levels of physical inactivity and sedentary behavior (SB), contributing to a disproportionate burden of chronic health conditions. An ecological momentary assessment (EMA) involves the use of smartphone-based data collected in real time to assess health behaviors and outcomes. OBJECTIVE: We examined the feasibility, validity, and acceptability of an EMA protocol assessing physical activity (PA) and SB in Latina adults. METHODS: For 7 days, 67 Latinas (average age 39 years, SD = 13.6; n=37, 55.2% earning less than US $50,000/year; n=53, 79.1% foreign-born; and n=49, 73.1% of Mexican or Mexican American origin) completed a signal-contingent EMA protocol with 3 prompts per day and wore an ActiGraph GT3X accelerometer to measure levels of PA and SB. EMA prompts inquired about current behavior, feelings, beliefs, social conditions, and contexts. RESULTS: Latinas completed 69.7% (892/1279) of EMA prompts. They were more likely to respond to EMA prompts when engaged in more SB (odds ratio [OR] 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.06) and less light-intensity PA (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.94-0.99) in the 30 minutes around the prompt. Accelerometer data validated self-reported occasions of PA and SB via EMA. The majority of participants (>70%) were satisfied with the protocol and expressed interest in participating in future studies. CONCLUSIONS: EMA is a feasible, valid, and acceptable methodology for capturing movement behaviors among Latinas, which can provide insights into the antecedents and consequences of these behaviors in their daily lives.