Rullier Laetitia, Atzeni Thierry, Husky Mathilde, Bouisson Jean, Dartigues Jean-François, Swendsen Joel, Bergua Valerie
Psychologie, Université Bordeaux, Santé et Qualité de vie, EA 4139, F-33000, Bordeaux, France.
Int J Methods Psychiatr Res. 2014 Jun;23(2):208-16. doi: 10.1002/mpr.1425. Epub 2013 Dec 27.
Although ambulatory data collection techniques have been used in elderly populations, their feasibility and validity amongst elderly individuals with cognitive impairment and amongst couples remains unexplored. The main objective of this study is to examine the validity of Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) in elderly persons with or without cognitive impairment and their spouses. The sample included 58 retired farmers (mean 77.3 years, standard deviation [SD] 5.5) with or without cognitive impairment, recruited within a French cohort and 60 spouses (mean 73.4 years, SD 6.9). The presence of cognitive impairment determining by a panel of specialized neurologists permitted to define two groups: "The Cognitive Impairment Group" and "The Control Group". EMA procedures consisted of repeated telephone interviews five times per day during four days for each spouse. Our results demonstrate the validity of EMA procedures through a 92.1% level of compliance, the absence of fatigue effects, and the lack of evidence for major reactivity to the methods. However, the specificity of our sample may explain the acceptance (42%) and response (75%) rates and may reduce the generalizability of the results to the general population of elderly individuals. Finally, the validation of such techniques may contribute to future research examining community-dwelling elderly individuals and their spouses.
尽管动态数据收集技术已应用于老年人群体，但在认知障碍老年人及老年夫妇中其可行性和有效性仍未得到探索。本研究的主要目的是检验生态瞬时评估（EMA）在有或无认知障碍的老年人及其配偶中的有效性。样本包括在一个法国队列中招募的58名有或无认知障碍的退休农民（平均年龄77.3岁，标准差[SD]5.5）以及60名配偶（平均年龄73.4岁，SD 6.9）。由一组专业神经科医生确定的认知障碍情况使得可以定义两组：“认知障碍组”和“对照组”。EMA程序包括每位配偶在四天内每天进行五次重复电话访谈。我们的结果通过92.1%的依从率、不存在疲劳效应以及没有证据表明对该方法有主要反应性证明了EMA程序的有效性。然而，我们样本的特殊性可能解释了接受率（42%）和回应率（75%），并可能降低结果对老年人群体总体的可推广性。最后，此类技术的验证可能有助于未来针对社区居住老年人及其配偶的研究。
