Wearable technology and daily diaries for studying mental health: lessons learned from pilot studies in Kampala, Uganda.

ABSTRACT: Wearable technology and daily diaries offer insights into everyday behaviors that can further health research and treatment globally. However, the use of these methodologies outside of high-income settings has been limited. We conducted two pilot studies that enrolled 60 young women in the urban slums of Kampala, Uganda to understand design considerations associated with using wearable technology and daily diaries in this context. Each participant in the pilot studies was asked to wear a wearable activity tracker and complete daily diary questionnaires for 5 days. Based on our experiences, we identified several lessons that may be beneficial to others interested in implementing wearable technology and daily self-reports in their research and interventions, particularly when working in low-

SUBMITTER: Nielsen KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11867819 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature