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Participants wanted for health and stress study

23 September 2014

The Whitehall II study (also known as the "Stress and Health" study) began in 1985 and has been following a large group of civil servants at work and into retirement.

Quad The study aims to better understand how social and personal factors in people's lives affect their health, and specifically the health of their heart, cardiovascular system and mental wellbeing. The study has already made important contributions to understanding the effects of working conditions on health.

Looking towards the future, the study seeks to answer questions about how previous and current circumstances affect health and quality of life in an ageing cohort.

For more information about the study, including a detailed report titled "Work, Stress & Health", please visit our website http://www.ucl.ac.uk/whitehallII/

We are now beginning the next phase of the study and are looking for participants aged 50 years and over to pilot our study.  We are particularly interested in people between the ages of 60-85 so please do forward this e-mail on to those who might be interested.

At this phase we will be assisted by a social research organisation, TNS BMRB who have partnered with Medical Direct Group (MDG) who manage a nationwide network of clinics and mobile nurses.

Further information about TNS BMRB and MDG can be found on their websites: www.tns-bmrb.co.uk and http://www.wearemdg.com.

The pilot will involve a selection of you completing a questionnaire during the end of October 2014. Earlier the following year, all pilot participants will be invited to have a free medical examination at our clinic based in Watford (Lower High Street WD17) during 16th - 23rd January 2015.

  • The paper and pen questionnaire will be sent to a random sample of pilot participants by mail for completion in your own time. It contains questions ranging from your general health to your work and life circumstances.
  • The medical examination will take between 3.5 to 4 hours and will include a range of tests. These include blood pressure, heart functioning assessed via an electrocardiogram (ECG) and other measures, a test of your walking speed and physical functioning, together with blood tests for cholesterol and diabetes and a computerised test.

Light refreshments will be available at the clinic.

Each participant will receive the results of some of the tests and all travel costs to and from the clinic will be paid.

All information you provide will be kept strictly confidential and used for pilot study purposes only. Once you have received the results of your tests, your personal details will be deleted from our records.

We aim for the best possible clinical and professional practice. As in our previous data collection we use only standard measures and procedures; the Whitehall II phase 12 data collection plan has been assessed by the London-Harrow Research Ethics Committee, REC Ref 85/0938.

If you would like to participate, please contact Stephanie Smith

Stress and Health Study
Department of Epidemiology & Public Health
University College London
1-19 Torrington Place
London WC1E 6BT

If you are already taking part in the Stress and Health study, please wait for your personal invitation to the next phase of the study.

Stephanie Smith, Study & Data Coordinator, Whitehall II Study, Department of Epidemiology & Public Health