What is Project NETWORK?

 

Project NETWORK is a research study conducted through the Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. This study aims to explore adolescents' and young adults' lifestyles and health choices. This is a Seattle-area study conducted online with two in-lab sessions.

 

Who can participate?

 

All young men and women between the ages of 15 and 20 who currently reside in the Seattle area and are willing to travel twice to the University of Washington are invited to participate. Participants under the age of 18 must have parental permission to participate.

 

Do I get paid?

 

All participants who are eligible for the study and choose to participate can earn up to $75. Payments are distributed via prepaid US Bank Cards. You will receive your payment at your second in-lab session, or within two weeks of the close of your in-lab session scheduling window. The breakdown is as follows: $30 for the first in-person session, and $45 for the 1-month follow up in-person session.

 

What would I do as a participant?

 

If you're interested in participating in Project NETWORK, the first step is to complete a confidential 5-minute online survey to see if the study is right for you. The survey includes questions about your personal characteristics (age, gender, etc.), education (student status, highest degree, etc.), and contact information (phone number, email address, etc.).

 

For those individuals who are under 18 years of age, if you are deemed eligible to participate in the study, our study staff will contact your parent or guardian to obtain their permission to include you in our study, which will be followed by a short screening phone call to verify your eligibility, answer any questions you may have about participating, and to schedule an in-lab session. For those individuals over 18 years of age, if you are deemed eligible to participate in the study, our study staff will contact you to complete a short screening phone call to verify your eligibility, answer any questions you may have about participating, and to schedule an in-lab session.

 

The first in-lab session consists of an online survey that participants will take in a private room in our lab (located adjacent to University of Washington Campus). This questionnaire asks about your basic demographics, alcohol use, and your perceptions of others' behaviors. You are free not to answer any questions you do not want to answer and can quit participating at any time. After this survey, participants will complete a short, in-lab activity on the computer. Individuals who attend their session will earn $30 for their participation.

 

Participants who have completed their first in-lab session will be contacted one month from their completion to schedule a 1-month follow-up session. This session will consist of a short follow-up survey, taken online in a private room in the lab. The survey will be followed by a short debriefing by one of our study staff members. Participants who attend their 1-month follow-up session will earn an additional $45 for their participation.

 

Over the course of the study, you will receive a series of mail, e-mail or telephone reminders to complete the surveys. We cannot guarantee the confidentiality of e-mail; however, the e-mails will not contain personal or sensitive information.