A pilot study from researchers at The City University of New York found that combining wearable devices, smartphone location tracking, and real-time surveys can successfully monitor environmental exposures along with their immediate physical and emotional effects. The study was published in JMIR Formative Research and included authors Sameera Ramjan and Melissa Blum as co-first authors, along with Rung Yu Tseng, Katherine Davey, Duke Shereen, and senior author Yoko Nomura.
Participants wore Fitbit smartwatches for about a month and completed short mood surveys called ecological momentary assessments several times each day. Researchers combined those responses with smartphone GPS data to estimate exposure to heat and pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide, based on participants’ daily movements. The results showed the method was both practical and informative.
Higher exposure to heat and nitrogen dioxide was linked to changes in heart rate variability, which reflects the body’s ability to recover from stress. Increased sulfur dioxide exposure was associated with stronger feelings of nervousness and hopelessness. Researchers also found that greater heat exposure corresponded with lower self-reported sadness, a surprising result that may be connected to increased outdoor activity and social interaction during warmer weather.
A Novel Research Approach
According to the senior author Nomura, a distinguished professor of psychology at the CUNY Graduate Center and Queens College, “To our knowledge, this is the first study to combine wearable devices, ecological momentary assessment, and continuous GPS tracking to measure environmental exposures and their immediate health impacts.” The team is now using an updated system in a larger National Institutes of Health-supported study focused on how prenatal and current environmental exposures influence adolescent brain development and mental health. Researchers identified ways to improve the system, including making it easier to use and increasing participant adherence, which have been incorporated into the next phase of the project.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-use-smartwatch-data-to-track-the-hidden-health-effects-of-air-pollution/