Teachers College, Columbia University
New York, New York
INFORMED CONSENT
DESCRIPTION OF RESEARCH: As a pre-doctoral fellow with the Research Group on Disparities in Health within the Department of Health and Behavior Studies at Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York, New York, I am working with my sponsor on this study. We are evaluating the Belin Challenge Fitness Boot Camp and the One Cross Faith-Based Fitness Boot Camp. We are inviting participants to join the study if they have completed any of the Winter 2012 Fitness Boot Camps. Participation in the evaluation study involves you: 1) responding to an e-mail invitation to evaluate the Fitness Boot Camp you just completed; 2) following the link contained within the e-mail so you can participate in an online anonymous survey that allows you to evaluate the Fitness Boot Camp; and 4) spending about 20-25 minutes completing an evaluation survey, as well as responding to open-ended questions where you can offer your opinion about the Fitness Boot Camp.
The study will allow us to evaluate the Fitness Boot Camp and provide feedback that may improve the model.
RISK AND BENEFITS: There are no anticipated risks to participants in this study. However, some participants might experience some emotional pain, sadness, or stress thinking about the challenges of engaging in physical fitness activities, losing weight, or changing one’s eating or food preparation behavior. Although, we would encourage study completion, a participant can discontinue participation in this study at any time. Simply click “end/exit” to exit the study’s survey. Any participant who becomes upset can pursue help, as follows, as an Internet user: conduct a search via Google.com by entering “free online counseling” (e.g., http://www.myshrink.com/online-crisis-counseling-t.php and access support 24 hours a day/seven days a week from a trained professional volunteer; or, http://www.psychresources.net/ to access online counseling resources; or, http://www.mytherapycouch.com/free_online_therapy/ to receive free online therapy with a qualified professional). Again, we do not think that study participation will trigger so much pain that this is necessary, but we offer these suggestions as a precaution.
PAYMENTS: There are no payments associated with participating in this study. However, if a participants completes the surveys, then they will enjoy a chance (1 in 6) of being one of the 10 winners of a scholarship for use in ANOTHER Fitness Boot Camp—whether for personal use by you, or a gift you can give to someone else. A program will automatically send out these gift scholarships to 10 randomly chosen e-mail accounts without in any way linking your identity to the survey results.
DATA STORAGE TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY: Since this is an online survey, actual names, addresses and phone numbers are not needed, and only aggregate (group) data will be utilized. The designers of the website have taken steps to ensure that all data will remain secure, private and confidential.
TIME INVOLVEMENT: The online survey will take approximately 20=25 minutes to complete.
HOW RESULTS WILL BE USED: The results of the study will be used mainly for the purpose of health education, specifically, to share with other adults the evaluation findings of the Fitness Boot Camp. This information will also be used as part of dissertation data for the researchers’ doctorate degree in health education. The data will be presented at health education meetings, published in journals and used for other educational purposes.
Thanks for your participation!
Patricia Lopez
(Ed.D. Candidate, Teachers College, Columbia University)
pal2108@columbia.edu