Feasibility and acceptability of wearable devices and daily diaries to assess sleep and other health indicators among young women in the slums of Kampala, Uganda

Abstract

Background: Individuals in Uganda's urban slums have unmet mental health needs due to limited healthcare infrastructure, poor environmental conditions, and extreme poverty. Researchers often use wearable devices to measure factors associated with mental health including sleep, physical activity, and exposure to environmental stressors. However, the use of wearables for research purposes in low-resource settings is limited. This pilot study investigated the feasibility and acceptability of wearables and accompanying daily diaries to assess sleep and other health indicators in young women living in Kampala's slums.

Methods: Women (n = 60 total, two groups) aged 18-24 living in three urban slums participated in 5-day pilot protocols comprised of wearing Garmin vívoactive 3 smartwatches and completing daily diaries concerning sleep and physical activities. Participants completed surveys about their experiences. We based analyses on survey findings and data completeness.

Results: All participants responded to daily diaries. All but one reported wearing the device nonstop and 51 had recoverable heart rate data with median data coverage of 93.2%. Most devices (87.5%) recorded data for 5 days without running out of battery. Some participants (8.5%) found the wearable uncomfortable during the day, and 25% found it uncomfortable at night. Few participants (6.7%) reported feeling unsafe with the wearable, with most reports occurring prior to the availability of bracelet-like wearable covers.

Conclusions: Study protocols implementing wearables and complimentary daily diaries are feasible in this urban population. However, important contextual factors including participant and researcher training and safety concerns warrant additional considerations for acceptable utilization of wearable devices for research in other low-resource settings.

Keywords: Uganda; Wearables < personalised medicine; activity trackers; diaries < personalised medicine; environment < lifestyle; feasibility studies; mental health < psychology; sleep duration; sleep quality; technology < general.