JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) enables real-time measurement of emotional states, behaviors, and contextual exposures in individuals’ daily lives. Although EMA has demonstrated feasibility in younger and Western populations, evidence regarding its acceptability and compliance among older adults in Asian settings remains limited.

Objective:

This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, compliance, and acceptability of a 14-day smartphone-based EMA protocol among community-dwelling older adults in Singapore.

Methods:

A total of 130 adults aged ≥ 65 years were enrolled in the Ecological Momentary Assessment in AGEing (EMAGE) study. Participants completed five EMA prompts per day over 14 consecutive days using a smartphone application. Feasibility indicators included recruitment and retention rates, EMA compliance, and post-study survey measures of usability and satisfaction.

Results:

Between June and December 2025, 139 individuals were approached and 130 were enrolled in the study. All participants completed the 14-day EMA protocol, resulting in a retention rate of 100%. A total of 9,007 of 9,100 scheduled EMA prompts were completed, yielding an overall compliance rate of 98.98% (SD 2.23%). Post-study survey responses indicated high usability and satisfaction, with over 90% of participants reporting that the application was easy to use and expressing overall satisfaction with the EMA experience.

Conclusions:

Smartphone-based EMA is highly feasible and acceptable among older adults in Singapore, demonstrating high retention, compliance, and usability. These findings support the implementation of EMA methodologies in aging research within Asian contexts.