If you are interested in participating in this study, please answer the eligibility screening questions at: criticalpublichealth.org/leas-screener
This study was designed with and for community members.
This study is being conducted with young adults living in California to learn more about how structural conditions and stigma experiences in different communities relate to alcohol problems and other drug use. The results of this study will be useful in informing potential interventions, like changes to local policies or legislation improving access to care, designed to better support communities and our health.
Study Activities: We are asking young adults to participate in a paid, online, survey-based study over about two weeks. Participation involves completing one initial 30-minute online survey, and then a short 5-minute online survey every day for 14 days.
Compensation: In total, participants can receive up to $150 in electronic gift cards as a thank-you for their time and participation in this study. Specifically, participants will receive $30 after completing the initial 30-minute survey, and then $5 for each of the 14 days they complete the daily 5-minute survey (up to $70). On top of that, participants who complete all 7 daily surveys each week will get an extra $25 bonus for that week (up to $50 over 2 weeks). Incentives are paid via Tango card upon completion of each survey and can be redeemed as digital gift cards, digital prepaid debit cards, and charitable donations.
If you are interested in participating in this study, please answer our eligibility screening questions here. If you are eligible, our research team will contact you about next steps.
For more information about participation, please contact Em Sanders by calling 866-230-0937, texting 510-408-7760, or emailing LEAS@pire.org.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Who is conducting the study?
Created specifically for young adults, this study was designed with input from community members, including public health professionals, research scientists, health advocates, and the public. The study is being conducted by the Prevention Research Center (PRC) of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation in collaboration with the California LGBTQ Health & Human Services Network, the Center for Critical Public Health, and the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health’s Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, with funding from the National Institutes of Health (Grant # R01AA031637).
The Prevention Research Center is a non-profit organization based in Berkeley that conducts research on communities, families, and the workplace, as well as the impacts of state and national policies on alcohol and drug use. To find out more about PRC, go to: https://prev.org.
The California LGBTQ Health & Human Services Network is an LGBTQ-specific program of Health Access, bringing together more than 60 non-profit providers, community centers, and researchers to advocate collectively for state level policies and resources that will advance LGBTQ+ health. The Network represents LGBTQ+ communities at administrative agencies to ensure that as decisions are made, LGBTQ+ people are fully included. To find out more about the Network, go to: https://californialgbtqhealth.org/.
The Center for Critical Public Health (CCPH) is a non-profit social science research organization focused on health inequities. Our research centers the multiple experiences, values, and beliefs of people whose voices are often left at the margins. We analyze the extent to which public health practice and policy-making are aligned with the everyday lives of people who experience health inequities. To find out more about CCPH, go to: https://criticalpublichealth.org/about/.
The University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health’s Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences (BCHS) seeks to improve health and promote equity by engaging individuals, communities, and systems through research, teaching, and practice. To find out more about BCHS, go to: https://www.publichealth.pitt.edu/bchs.
How many surveys are there, how long do they take and what are the incentives?
There are up to 15 surveys: one longer one (30 minutes), and 14 very short ones (5 minutes each). If you are eligible, we’ll send you a link to the initial 30-minute survey, and you will receive a $30 e-giftcard of your choice after you complete it (via Tango). After that, we will text you a link to complete a short, 5-minute survey each morning for 14 days, and you will receive another $5 e-giftcard for every short daily survey you complete. If you complete all 7 daily surveys each week, you will receive an extra $25 bonus that week (up to $50) also via e-giftcard. In total, participants can receive up to $150 for participating in all 15 surveys. Funds will be sent electronically using Tango, which allows you to load the incentive funds onto an electronic prepaid card or e-giftcard of your choice.
How do you use Tango to redeem the incentive funds?
Shortly after completing any of this study’s surveys, participants will receive an email containing a unique link to access their incentive payment via the Tango website. Simply click that link (or copy the URL into your web browser), select at least one reward from Tango’s Rewards Catalog of options, add it to your cart, enter your name and email, and then click “Complete My Order.” Your selected e-giftcard will be sent to the email address you provided.
I am not 18 years old yet; can I participate?
In order to be eligible to participate in any of the surveys, you need to be 18 years of age or older.
Can I refer someone else to participate?
Yes, other people you know might be eligible to participate in the study as well. Anyone you know who may be interested can answer the eligibility screening questions at: criticalpublichealth.org/leas-screener. If they list you as their referral source and complete their participation in the study, we will send you a $10 thank you (for up to 2 referrals).
What kinds of questions will be asked?
The initial 30-minute survey asks about your background, identities, current life circumstances, alcohol use and beliefs, other drug use, and stigma experiences.
The short daily surveys ask about alcohol and other substance use, related consequences, and experiences with stigma you may have had the prior day.
Participation in this study is completely voluntary. You do not have to answer any questions you do not want to answer, and you may stop taking the survey at any time if you want to. You can also stop taking the survey and come back to finish it later within a certain time period. You can complete the initial survey within 3 weeks, and each daily survey within a 4-hour window.
What are potential risks of participating in the study?
Potential risks of this study are (a) personal and sensitive information obtained through the study may become known to others outside the research team, (b) other household members or guests overhearing sensitive information reported by participants, and (c) emotional distress that may result from certain survey topics or questions. Measures will be taken by the research team to keep these risks to an absolute minimum. Specifically, we will (1) securely store all study data; (2) separate survey data from names and contact information; (3) instruct participants to complete surveys in a private setting; (4) provide a list of resources available for emotional support; and (5) enable participants to skip a question if they prefer not to answer.
Are the surveys confidential?
Yes, all of your responses to survey questions will be kept completely confidential. Names, emails, or any other identifying information are never connected with the survey results. All survey findings are reported only in summary form. Participants’ responses will be stored in password protected files and we will keep names and all personal identifying information separate from study data. You have the option to share your de-identified data with the study funder, the NIH, but you can opt out of it.
With whom can I talk to confirm the legitimacy of the survey?
You can reach the study director, Dr. Sharon Lipperman-Kreda, Principal Investigator, at skreda@prev.org or 1-800-486-0727, or reach our organization’s Institutional Review Board by contacting Elizabeth Waiters at 866-PIRE-ORG (866-747-3674) ext. 1, or e-mail IRB@pire.org.
FUNDING STATEMENT
This project is supported by funds from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), grant number R01AA031637 (Sharon Lipperman-Kreda, PI).
If you want more details about the study, please contact Dr. Sharon Lipperman-Kreda, Principal Investigator, at skreda@prev.org or 1-800-486-0727.
Project contact: Em Sanders
Call 866-230-0937, text 510-408-7760, or email LEAS@pire.org.
This study is being conducted by the Prevention Research Center of the Pacific Institute of Research and Evaluation in collaboration with the California LGBTQ Health & Human Services Network, the Center for Critical Public Health, and the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences.