The study will close to new participants at 11:45 PM on September 7th, 2022.
A. This study will collect information about pregnant individuals’ personal exposures to chemicals and particles in the air before and during the wildfire season in Klamath County. This information will help us understand what is in wildfire smoke and how this might impact health during pregnancy and after birth.
A. Klamath County Public Health (KCPH) and the Trends on Thriving (TOTs) group are working with Oregon State University to understand how wildfire smoke exposure may impact health during pregnancy. You can help us learn more by participating in this study.
A. As a participant in this study, you will be asked to do the following activities:
Step 1: Check to see if you are eligible to join this study by answering some questions here on this survey: https://https://beav.es/iPm/
Step 2: If you are eligible and interested in participating, the study coordinator (Kim Brown) will follow up with you to discuss the study in more detail and answer any questions you have.
Step 3: Join the study by completing and signing an informed consent online.
A. Yes! You can send them a link to the study website: https://ehsc.oregonstate.edu/wildfire-smoke-exposure/
A. This study is taking place in Klamath County June 2022- March 2023.
A. The National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences is funding this research through the Pacific Northwest Center for Translational Environmental Health Research at Oregon State University.
Researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) are working with Klamath County Public Health and the Trends on Thriving (TOTs) work group to conduct the Wildfire and Infant Health study. OSU researcher, Diana Rohlman, is the principal investigator.
A. You need a telephone number and access to the internet to participate in the study. However, participants can choose whether they’d prefer to communicate by text or phone and complete surveys online or on paper.
Yes. You will receive a gift card to a local grocery store for $50 after each sampling period for a total of up to $100 in gift cards. You will have the option to receive information about the air quality in your home when the study is finished.
Your participation in this study is voluntary, and you can leave the study at any time.
We are collecting data on air quality and exposures within Klamath County, so we will not ask you to participate while you are out of the area. We understand that planned travel and unanticipated events may impact your ability to participate in this study. If that happens, please just let us know.
A. There are three air monitors that participants will use in this study.
A. Yes. In the daily surveys, during the two sampling periods, we will ask you to share information about devices and other items that impact air quality in your home.
A. We take this very seriously. When you sign up for the study, we assign a study code to you. That means we separate your name from the data as soon as possible, to help protect your privacy. When you return the monitors to us, we download and remove the data from the residential monitors, and store it on password protected computers. The personal monitors are stored in a freezer, and only a study code is on them.
A. We will not share any data that identifies you by name. We do share overall data so that you can see, on average, what other people were exposed to that were in the study. We will never release or publish your name or address other information that could easily identify you.
A. You will have the option to receive information about the air quality in your home when the study is finished.
A. You will receive a box containing three monitors that will be used for each sampling period. We will include information about what each monitor does and how to use it. We anticipate that setting these devices up will take less than 15 minutes. Support from our study staff will be available if you have questions or need help.
A. The silicone wristband is worn like a bracelet, weighs a few ounces, and does not make any noise.
A. We will communicate with you, according to your preference (text or phone call), when the sampling periods begin and end.
A. It’s best if you follow the instructions for your monitors carefully, but it’s okay if you forget to wear, turn on or recharge a device for a period of time during the 4-day sampling period. This may impact the quality of the data we collect and that you receive at the end of the study, however, you can continue to participate in the study and receive the incentives. If you have any questions or problems about the air monitors during the study, please email Kim Brown ([email protected]) or call 541-224-7883.
A. Daily surveys about respiratory health are completed during the 4-day sampling period plus 2 days after, for a total of 12 days (6 days pre-wildfire and 6 days during a wildfire). They take about 1-2 minutes to complete each day and can be taken on a smart phone or a computer with internet access or on paper.
A. You are not expected to participate in the study while you are receiving healthcare outside your home and/or if you have other health concerns.
A. If a monitor is not functioning properly, breaks or gets lost during the study, please email Kim Brown ([email protected]) or call 541-224-7883. We will help you troubleshoot and replace the monitor if needed. You are not responsible for fixing or replacing any equipment. A pre-paid mailer will be provided so you can return the equipment at the end of the study.
