I am a... Young Person
What is Health4Me?
We are trying to find out whether a healthy lifestyle text message program (Health4Me) with optional health counselling will help young people to improve their physical and mental health, compared to receiving no text message program. Finding this out is important so we can provide programs to all young people to create healthy life-long habits and prevent chronic diseases.
Can I Participate in Health4Me?
Young people aged 12-18 years who own an active mobile phone can participate. Check your eligibility by completing this survey.
What will I have to do if I participate in Health4Me?
The Health4Me study is 6 months long and everything is completed online, over text or by phone call. If you decide to take part in this study, you will be asked to:
1. Complete a short screening process online
2. Sign the Participant Information and Consent Form electronically (and with your parent and/or legal guardian if <14-years-old)
3. Complete enrolment online
Sometimes we do not know which intervention is best for helping people with improve their health. To find out we need to compare different groups. The computer system will randomly (like flipping a coin) assign you to either receive text messages right away (intervention group) or no messages until after the 6-month visit (control group). You will have a 50% chance of being in the intervention group or the control group. You will be notified of which group you are in via text message.
As a part of the study, regardless of what group you are in, you will be asked to wear an activity tracker for 7-days at enrolment and 7-days at your 6-month follow-up. This goes on your wrist (like a FitBit or Apple Watch). We will send this to you to wear for 7-days and then you will return it to the research team via a pre-paid post bag which will be provided.
Even if you take part at the beginning and change your mind later on and don’t want to be a part of the study, that is okay as well.
For completing the enrolment and activity tracker, you will be reimbursed for your time with a $30 online gift voucher. As well, for completing the 6-month follow-up and activity tracker, you will be reimbursed for your time with another $30 online gift voucher. Therefore, if you complete all study activities and follow-ups you will be offered a total of $60 in online gift vouchers, which will be sent via email.
What type of study is Health4Me?
Our study is a single-blind randomized controlled trial. This means the researchers do not know which group you are in. So please remember not to tell them! We designed the study this way to make sure the researchers read the results in a fair and suitable way. At the end of the study, the results are compared to see if receiving the text messages helps improve young people’s physical and mental health more than not receiving any text messages.
What will happen to information I give in the study?
Information collected from you during the study will be stored in a secure web application called REDCap. This system is managed by the University of Sydney. It will be used by researchers to send out the text messages and analyse the information we collect during the study. The information could be used with information from other young people in reports or papers about the research. You will not be able to be identified in these reports or papers. The information you tell us will be treated confidentially in accordance with Australian privacy laws. Confidential information will be stored for a period of 20 years from the time of the study is completed (or until the youngest child in the study turns 25, whichever is the longest). This information will only be accessible to study investigators. After this time, all computer files will be deleted.
​ IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS THAT ARE NOT ANSWERED HERE, PLEASE READ THE PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET OR FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US
