Abstract
Objectives. Micro-ecological momentary assessment (µEMA) facilitates in-real-time data capture using succinct prompts delivered to a smartwatch. µEMA overcomes limitations of smartphone-based EMA for activities where carrying a smartphone would be burdensome/impractical. To date, µEMA during exercise has only been conducted with younger, non-clinical samples. We evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of µEMA during in situ, self-directed exercise among breast cancer survivors within 5-years of completing cancer treatment.Method. A µEMA app was installed on Fitbit Versa 3 smartwatches. N = 27 stage 0-III breast cancer survivors enrolled and 22 (81.5%) submitted ratings of affective response (via modified Feeling Scale) and physical effort (via modified Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale) during exercise sessions completed over 10 consecutive days. Feasibility was assessed as µEMA app response rates. Acceptability was assessed via User-Friendliness Scale ratings from daily dairy surveys as well as System Usability Scale (SUS) scores and exit interviews collected at end-of-study.Results. Participants (Mage = 60.8 years, SD = 11.5) completed M = 4.7 (SD = 2.4) exercise sessions (walking most common) while responding to µEMA. The overall µEMA response rate across all exercise sessions was 77.7% (SD = 19.5). SUS scores (M = 82.9, SD = 15.5) exceeded the threshold for adequate usability (i.e., ≥ 68) and overall average person-weighted user-friendliness was ‘satisfactory’—‘good,’ M = 4.7 (SD = 1.1). Interviews revealed preference for µEMA over smartphone-based EMA during exercise. Notably, some technical issues were common. Conclusions. Results support the feasibility and acceptability of µEMA during in situ exercise among breast cancer survivors.