About Our Study

What will I be asked to do during this study?

At the initial meeting you will meet with a member of the research team, either virtually using a video chat service (Zoom or WebEx) or by phone. You will be asked to answer questions that are part of a survey, including a food recall questionnaire, and receive training on devices you will be asked to use: an activity logger, a location logger, and a smartphone application. If you have not already received the activity logger and location logger, you will be provided them at this visit.

For 3 weeks, you will be asked to wear an elastic waistband at all times (except during sleeping, bathing, showering, or swimming). On the waistband will be an activity logger which records your physical activity and a location logger which records where you go. You will also be asked to complete short surveys on a smartphone using an installed application (or “app”) called MetricWire. We will assist you to install this app on your personal smartphone and uninstall it at the end of your participation.

You’ll be asked to complete these short surveys just before a) eating or drinking anything but water, b) doing physical activity, exercise, or sports, or c) walking continuously for at least 10 minutes. As part of the survey, you will be asked to take a picture of the foods and drinks you plan to consume. You will also be asked to complete a short survey at two random times each day. The app will also record your location for the duration of the 2 weeks. We ask that you be sure to carry the phone with you at all times.

On two days over the first 2 weeks, you will be contacted by a member of our research team to complete an online survey about what you ate and drank over the past 24 hours.

At the follow-up session you will meet with a research team member either virtually using a video chat service (Zoom or WebEx) or by phone. You will answer more questions and have your weight and height recorded. Before the session you will return the devices in a prepaid return mailing box which we will provide.

How much time will I spend on this study?

The surveys at this first session will take about 45 minutes, and the total time of this first visit will be 60-90 minutes.

The phone surveys that you complete for two weeks will take 2-5 minutes each. The number of surveys you complete each day will depend on how often you eat, drink, and are physically active. In total, these phone surveys will take about 20-30 minutes each day.

The online surveys about what you ate and drank over the past 24 hours, which you will complete twice during the two weeks, will take approximately 20-30 minutes each.

The surveys at the final session will take approximately 45 minutes, and the total time of the last visit will be about 60 minutes.