Implications for Using Mobile Ecological Momentary Assessment to Collect Climate Data from Vulnerable Urban Populations

This work documents the use of Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to gather data on household behaviors related to outdoor temperatures. In order for urban decision-makers to take effective action to address heat events, they must understand vulnerable residents’ current practices in relation to outdoor temperature. However, vulnerable residents are often excluded from research and can be difficult to reach. EMA allows researchers to gather data in real time and in a subject’s natural environment, which reduces recall bias and improves ecological validity. In this study, EMA was used via a mobile phone app to gather information on home cooling behaviors from residents in vulnerable neighborhoods. Few participants reported making changes to their indoor environments apart from adjusting the thermostat. Despite low participation, the experience of conducting this research has resulted in valuable “lessons learned”. These lessons are used to inform implications and considerations for future use of EMA with vulnerable populations.