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More than 32,000 Ontarians have pledged to make a difference for future generations
TORONTO, June 28, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Outstanding public health care and community spirit are as emblematic of Canada as hockey and the maple leaf. So what better way to celebrate Canada Day this year than by participating in the Ontario Health Study?
By filling out the Study's online questionnaire - and agreeing to complete occasional follow-up questionnaires - participants will share valuable health information that could help guide researchers in the development of strategies to prevent and treat diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, Alzheimer's disease and depression.
As of June 27, more than 32,000 Ontarians have joined the Ontario Health Study ( OntarioHealthStudy.ca). Every Ontario resident aged 18 and older is invited to participate in the Study, the largest long-term online health study ever conducted in North America. The questionnaire, which takes 20 to 30 minutes to sign up for and complete, examines environmental, lifestyle and familial factors associated with both disease and good health. If participants agree to it, they will be asked to fill out a yearly follow-up questionnaire on their health and occasional questionnaires on topics like psychosocial health, diet and physical activity.
More than 200 scientists and clinicians at universities, hospitals and research institutes across Ontario are overseeing the not-for-profit Study. The Ontario Health Study is a long-term research study initially funded by four organizations: the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Cancer Care Ontario, the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion, and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. The OHS is also part of the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project, which is made up of five regional health studies across the country.
Those interested in filling out the online questionnaire or learning more about the Study should visit OntarioHealthStudy.ca.
