Participation

We are asking you if you would like to participate in the second phase of this study. We would like to hear from both men and women with a wide variety of different experiences throughout the country, so that we get information about the experiences and the concerns of all service members.

You will be asked to participate in an interview. You may also be selected for a second and third interview. During the interview, you will be asked to respond to a series of questions about your experiences during childhood and the military. The interview includes questions about your eating behaviors and concerns, your experiences while growing up, and your training and deployment experiences. Each interview may take between 1 and 2 hours to complete. We will record audio of the interview if you give us permission to do so. You can choose not to answer any questions.

Before each interview, you will also be asked to complete a short pre-interview questionnaire asking questions about your eating and health concerns. Each questionnaire will take between 5 and 15 minutes to complete. We will use your information to conduct the study described in this consent form. The study will help the VA understand the effect of childhood and military experiences on eating difficulties and Veterans’ use of and need for services.

The information we are asking to use and share is called “Protected Health Information.” It is protected by a federal law called the Privacy Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). In general, we cannot use or share your health information for research without your permission. If you want, we can give you more information about the Privacy Rule. Also, if you have any questions about the Privacy Rule and your rights, you can speak to Yale Privacy Officer at (203)432-5919.

Participation in this interview will not benefit you directly. However, what we learn from you and others will be used to improve services for Veterans.

There are no physical risks associated with participating in this study.

There are two main risks:

1. You may experience feelings of distress thinking about your experiences during your childhood and before, during, and after deployment. If some questions feel too personal or distressing, it is okay to say to the interviewer that you don’t want to answer them. The interviewer will be trained to help you feel comfortable answering questions or saying you do not want to answer any of the questions. If you would like to talk with someone about how the interview makes you feel, the interviewer will be able to suggest helpful resources. There is also a list of helpful phone numbers below.
2. There is a possible risk of loss of confidentiality. Every effort will be made to keep your information confidential; however, this cannot be guaranteed. We have taken a number of steps to protect your privacy, which are outlined below.

As a token of our appreciation for your time, you will receive an electronic gift card once you complete the interview process. You will be compensated $90-$150, depending on the number of interviews you're selected to complete. You are responsible for paying state, federal, or other taxes for the payments you receive for being in this study. Taxes are not withheld from your payments.

If you decide not to participate, there will be no penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. Your decision will not affect your VA benefits or access to services in any way.

If you do decide to participate, you are still free to withdraw from the study at any time by cancelling any appointment you have made to talk to one of the study researchers.

If you withdraw your permission, you will not be able to stay in this study but the care you get from your doctor outside this study will not change. No new health information identifying you will be gathered after the date you withdraw. Information that has already been collected may still be used and given to others until the end of the research study to ensure the integrity of the study and/or study oversight.

Participation is completely up to you. You are free to choose not to take part any further in this study.

Research Participant Rights

If you have questions about your rights as a research participant, or you have complaints about this research, you can contact:

Yale Institutional Review Boards
203.785.4688
hrpp@yale.edu
your.yale.edu/hrpp