Assessment Centre
If I'm invited to join the study and decide to participate, what is involved?
You will be asked to come into our assessment centre where we will ask you to answer questions about your health, diet, lifestyle and environment. We will also take some biological samples and a number of physical measurements. We will also obtain your permission to track your health for 30 years through hospital records, cancer registries and other health-related databases.
Will I need to visit the Assessment Centre again?
We may contact you in the future to invite you to answer additional questions or for follow-up measurements. However, any future visits are entirely voluntary.
What type of questions do you ask in the questionnaires?
The major themes covered in The Atlantic PATH questionnaires are:
Behaviour and lifestyle – We will ask about smoking, alcohol consumption, eating habits, and physical activity levels.
Residence, citizenship, language, ethnic origin, marital status, education, religion, income and work history.
Personal health and medical care.
Overall quality of life – We are interested in the levels of stress in your daily life and in the workplace.
What biological samples do you require?
We need samples of blood, urine, saliva, and toenails for long-term storage and analysis. These samples will provide researchers with important information that will give us a better understanding of how and why cancer develops.
What physical measurements are you taking?
We will take you blood pressure; standing height; sitting height; weight and percentage body fat; grip strength; and bone density.
I don't like having blood taken. Can I take part in the study but not provide a blood sample?
No. Study participants must agree to provide all the information.
If you find anything in my samples, will you contact me?
No, we won't be able to. Samples are only identified by a numeric code. Researchers working with your samples will not have access to any information that could identify you.
Can I get the results of the physical measurements you've taken?
Yes. At the end of your Assessment Centre visit, we will offer you a printed summary of the measurements we've taken. These are compared to standard ranges for your age and sex in order to give context to the information. This is for information purposes only and is not intended as a medical check, although you may want to share the results with your doctor. |
