One of Canada’s Largest Health Studies Seeks Participants

Written by admin, August 18, 2015

August 18, 2015 – Residents Invited to Book an Ontario Health Study Appointment Online and Contribute to a Healthier Future

The Ontario Health Study (OHS) recently announced it will return to Peterborough for a second Peterborough Study Centre, following a successful run last year. The centre will be open from September 14th – 17th at the Peterborough Lions Community Centre. By visiting the Peterborough Study Centre, participants can contribute to a long-term health research study while learning more about their own health.

Peterborough area residents aged 35-69 years are invited to visit the Peterborough Study Centre to complete a short questionnaire and provide a blood sample, which will enable researchers to better understand what affects health and quality of life. This may help improve the prevention and diagnosis of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. A visit to the Peterborough Study Centre may also allow participants to learn something new about their health. Following their visit each participant receives a comprehensive blood analysis report of where their personal health falls within the reference range. Participants who have already completed the Ontario Health Study questionnaire online will receive an email invitation to take part.

Getting involved in the OHS is a simple, straightforward process. New participants just need to go to www.ontariohealthstudy.ca/Peterborough, register and then take the survey, which takes about an hour. The OHS follows strict privacy practices that govern how personal information is collected, who can see it and how it can be used.

The OHS has been particularly successful in Peterborough; the previous Study Centre in August of 2014 was fully booked with a waiting list for appointments. This time around, the Study has added additional capacity and will accept walk-ins, though making an appointment is recommended to reduce any potential wait times. The Study has set an ambitious goal of 200 participants over the Centre’s 4 day run, offering early morning and evening appointments to participants to accommodate as many participants as possible.

The Peterborough Study Centre is supported by Peterborough Public Health. “We are excited to have the Study return to Peterborough,” says Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health. “We encourage Peterborough residents to take advantage of this important opportunity to make a lasting contribution to health research.”

More participants are needed and all residents between ages 35 and 69 are encouraged to sign up and help spread the word about this important health research initiative. The Study thanks its past Peterborough Study Centre participants, and though the Study currently only requires one blood sample per participant, these participants are encouraged to help spread the word about the Study to friends, family and co-workers.

More than 230,000 Ontarians have helped advance the public health of future generations right from their computers by taking the Ontario Health Study’s online questionnaire. The OHS continues to recruit participants to provide important health data and samples. This information will help researchers understand the risk factors and causes of chronic diseases and to develop new prevention strategies and treatments.

“The information provided in the OHS questionnaire by participants gives us an overall snapshot of the health of Ontarians as well as their exposure to common risk factors,” says Dr. Philip Awadalla, Executive Scientific Director of the OHS. “Combining questionnaire responses with a blood sample provided at the Peterborough Study Centre allows us to get a more detailed look at their health. These data allow researchers to draw comprehensive conclusions about the health of the overall population.”

The OHS is just one piece of an even larger national effort called the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project (CPTP). The CPTP consists of the OHS and four other regional studies: The BC Generations Project, Alberta’s Tomorrow Project, Quebec’s CARTaGENE and the Atlantic PATH. Nationally, the CPTP has more than 300,000 participants aged 35 to 69 and more than 125,000 have provided a blood sample.

Peterborough Study Centre Details and hours of operation:
Peterborough Lions Community Centre
347 Burnham Street, Peterborough, Ontario K9H 1T5. Parking is free.

Monday, September 14: 12pm-8pm
Tuesday, September 15: 8am-8pm
Wednesday, September 16: 8am-8pm
Thursday, September 17: 8am-3pm

How to get started:

  • Visit ontariohealthstudy.ca/Peterborough to register for the Study and complete the online questionnaire. It only takes about an hour. You have six weeks to complete the questionnaire from the time you start it;
  • Schedule an appointment using the online booking tool and visit the Peterborough Study Centre.
  • If you have any questions you can speak to an OHS staff member by emailing info@ontariohealthstudy.ca or calling 1-866-606-0686.

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For further information, please contact:

Jocelyn Garrett                                                                 Brittany Cadence

Ontario Health Study                                                      Peterborough Public Health

Jocelyn.garrett@ontariohealthstudy.ca                       705-743-1000, ext. 391

647-259-8936 or 905-825-4295


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