Examining the Impact of Restorative States on Mental Health
You are being invited to take part in a research study conducted by the researchers named above. Below is detailed information for you to consider when determining whether or not to participate. Carefully consider all of this information and ask any questions you may have about it before deciding whether to participate or not.
Key Information for You to Consider:
- Voluntary Consent: You are being asked to volunteer for a research study. It is your choice whether to participate or not. There will be no penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled if you choose not to participate or to discontinue participation.
- Purpose: The purpose of this research is to gather information about the impact of restorative states – sleep hygiene and exercise – on mental health. You are being invited to participate because you are at least 18 years old. It is expected that approximately 80 individuals will be participating in this research.
- Procedures and Activities: You will be asked to use wearable devices to track exercise and sleep for the 7-day study. You will be asked to wear a Fitbit Charge 6 app during the day to monitor your step count, mileage, active zone minutes, energy burned (in calories) and record exercises (e.g. running, core training, cycling… 39 options). You will also use the Fitbit app to measure your exercise time duration, active zone number, average heart rate, maximum heart rate, energy burned. You will be asked to wear Muse S headband while sleeping to monitor sleep stages, time spent in each sleep stage, how quickly they fall asleep, time asleep, how frequently they wake up in the night, slow wave intensity, restoration points, sleep position, stillness, heart rate, and overall sleep score. Also, you will complete online surveys on Qualtrics every evening of participation (Daily PM Survey), and at both the beginning and end of the study (Day 1/7 Survey). The Day 1 and Day 7 surveys will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and the Daily surveys will take less than 5 minutes to complete. The surveys will include questions on: sleep behaviors, exercise behaviors, stress, awareness of the impact of lifestyle behaviors on mental health, lay beliefs, and more. Your responses will be confidential and the data will be de-identified so that your name and email cannot be linked to your survey responses. Also, you may choose “Prefer Not to Say” or discontinue from completing the survey at any time. At the study website page, you can find the links to each survey, informational videos and handouts on the study and technology use: https://fripublichealth.quarto.pub/study2.html. Retrieval of the wearable technologies will occur in your FRI classroom or in the FRI Public Health research lab on campus in Science 3, B72. There is no cost or compensation for participation.
- Duration: Your time commitment will be approximately 7 days of using wearable technology during the day (with Fitbit Charge 6) and night (with MUSE S). The Day 1 and Day 7 surveys will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and the Daily surveys will take less than 5 minutes to complete. You will also watch two videos: an introductory video and a video on technology use and care.
- Risks: Some of the foreseeable risks or discomfort that can be caused from participation are sourced from questions about substance use, stress, mental health, and health behaviors (i.e., sleep hygiene, physical activity). There is a slight risk of breach of confidentiality due to apps (MUSE S, Fitbit), Qualtrics (anonymous electronic surveys), and google drive (storing data). We will make our best efforts to protect your confidentiality but there by storing data on a secure system to reduce data leaks.
- Benefits: You will learn more about your own health via exercise and sleep monitoring and tracking. The researchers hope to learn more about how to examine the way restorative states influence mental health. We cannot guarentee any direct benefits.
- Alternatives: Participation is voluntary, and the only alternative is not to participate.
What happens to the information collected for this research? Information collected as part of this research will be distributed at relevant regional, national, and international conferences. Identifiers might be removed from identifiable private information and/or identifiable specimens and, after such removal, the information and/or specimens could be used for future research studies or distributed to another investigator for future research studies without additional informed consent from you.
How will my privacy and data confidentiality be protected? We will take measures to protect your privacy including collecting data anonymously. No personal information will be collected such as name, address, or computer IP address. We will take measures to protect the security of all your personal information including keeping all data on password-protected computer drives. These are reserved for research purposes only.
Qualtrics is a Binghamton University-approved survey platform and we anticipate that your participation in this survey presents no greater risk than everyday use of the Internet.
Please note that email communication is neither private nor secure. Though we are taking precautions to protect your privacy, you should be aware that information sent through email could be read by a third party.
Despite these precautions, we can never fully guarantee your privacy or the confidentiality of all study information. Individuals and organizations that conduct or monitor this research may be permitted access to inspect the research records, including accessing your private information. These individuals and organizations include: approved study team members, and the Binghamton University Institutional Review Board (IRB).
What if I want to stop participating in this research? Taking part in this research study is your decision. Your participation is voluntary. You do not have to take part in this study, but if you do, you can choose not to participate in any study activity or to completely withdraw at any point without penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. Your decision whether or not to participate will not affect your relationship with the researcher(s) or Binghamton University.
Who can answer my questions about this research? If you have questions, concerns, or have experienced a research-related injury, contact the lead researcher: Shane McCarty, PhD via phone at (607) 777- 5523 or email at smccarty1@binghamton.edu.
Binghamton University’s IRB is overseeing this research. The IRB is a group of people who perform independent reviews of research studies to ensure the rights and welfare of participants are protected. If you have questions about your rights or wish to speak with someone other than the research team, you may contact:
The Binghamton University IRB, hsrrc@binghamton.edu, (607) 777 - 3818
Step 1. Watch a video to learn more about the study
Step 2. Want to participate?
Complete the informed consent form to sign up for the study. Include your name, Binghamton email, research program affiliation, and week-by-week availability for participating in the 7-day study journey: https://forms.gle/S8MGZ8ZDUdB5MthD9
Step 3. Confirm participation
Because there are only 7 wearable devices, you may need to wait 1-3 weeks to participate in the study. We will invite you to participate by email from the account: FRIpublichealth@binghamton.edu.
After you receive an email, please confirm your participation by replying to the email: “I plan to participate in the study next week!”
Step 4. Retrieve wearable devices
On a Monday, you may retrieve your wearable devices (MUSE S and Fitbit Charge 6) for you to begin day 1 of your 7 day journey.
Please select the device # and color of your choosing.
Use the provided alcohol prep pads for cleaning devices
Create personal account free of charge in the Muse and Fitbit Apps
It is very important you watch a brief video to learn about wearable technology use and care guidelines!
Step 5. Complete Day 1 Survey
Shortly after receiving your devices at the start of your journey, please complete the ~15-minute Day 1 Survey: https://bit.ly/3JJtmCj
Please add a reminder to your calendar: “complete FINAL DAY 7 survey!” exactly 7 days later on the following Monday.
Step 6. Use wearable devices
- Wear Muse-S during sleep sessions
- Wear Fitbit Charge 6 throughout the day for activity tracking
- Full participation in the study involves wearing devices for 7 days/nights
Remember to charge your MUSE S device each morning.
Step 7. Complete Daily Survey to transfer data
Each day, complete the daily survey in the evening: https://bit.ly/4g2eCdM. You will be asked to transfer data from the MUSE S and Fitbit apps into this daily survey.
Tip: Consider setting a daily alarm on your phone as a reminder to take the evening survey each day. We thank you for your time to complete these important daily surveys!
The information below explains how to transfer information collected by your MUSE S and Fitbit Charge 6 device. It should be simple! You will open the apps on your phone and then enter the numbers into your daily qualtrics survey.
Step 8. Complete Final Day 7 Survey
At the end of your journey on Monday (Day 7 of 7), complete the Day 7 Survey: https://bit.ly/3JJtmCj.
If you completed your Day 1 survey at 5pm on the prior Monday, it would be ideal to complete your Day 7 survey at a similar time.
Step 9. Return devices
On Monday (Day 7 of 7), please return your MUSE S and Fitbit Charge 6 devices to the FRI classroom or return them to the FRI Public Health Research Lab at Binghamton University, Science 3, B72 by 12:00pm or shortly thereafter.
Please use alcohol prep pads to gently clean devices in preparation for the next group of participants.
Contact Information fripublichealth@binghamton.edu
Thank You Message We appreciate you taking the time to show your interest in taking part in our study on restorative states for mental health. Your participation contributes to our community of research at Binghamton University. Your involvement is crucial to our understanding of significant issues pertaining to the health and wellbeing of students. By participating in this study, you are investing in your own self-awareness regarding health and wellness in addition to promoting academic progress. We hope that this experience gives you insightful knowledge that advances your personal health.
Contact Information
Do you have any questions? Contact us! Principal Investigator: Shane McCarty, Ph.D. Email: smccarty1@binghamton.edu