Priorities for Obesity and Weight-related Research (POWER)

If you have any questions after reading this information please contact us at power@phc.ox.ac.uk

What is the purpose of the research?

Researchers usually decide what research gets done, but we think everyone should decide what research is important, especially for a topic like weight control that affects us all. We are asking you to help us by telling us what matters most to you on this topic.

We appreciate your interest in participating in this online survey. You have been invited to participate because you completed our first survey or you have seen information about our project and you are interested in getting involved. Please read through these terms before entering the online survey.

Please note that your participation is voluntary and you must be aged 16 or over. You may withdraw at any point during the questionnaire for any reason, before submitting your answers, by closing the browser. Please note, only those who complete the survey will have the opportunity to win one of five £30 Amazon vouchers.

What is involved?

In an initial survey we asked people to write down their top questions in obesity and weight-related research. We have grouped these into research questions and themes. You do not need to have taken survey 1, to complete survey 2. In this survey, you will be asked to rank these in order of importance to you on a scale of 1-10 or ‘no opinion’. The computer will allocate you a list of 49 or 50 research questions to score from the total. It should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. No background knowledge is required. Email addresses will be requested if you wish to enter the prize draw. Using your responses, a workshop will be held to agree the top 10 priority questions which will direct future research.

What will happen to my data?

We will use all reasonable endeavours to keep your responses confidential. Your email address will not be linked to the questions you answered, so your responses will remain anonymous. Your email address will be deleted within one year after the end of the study.

Your data will be stored in a password-protected file and information, excluding email addresses, may be used in academic publications. Your IP address will not be stored. We have included a ‘Prefer not to say’ option for personal data if you prefer not to answer a particular question. Research data will be stored for a minimum of 3 years after publication.

Who will have access to your data?

The Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences (the Department) at the University of Oxford (https://www.phc.ox.ac.uk/research/research-themes/health-behaviours-theme/health-behaviours ) is the data controller with respect to your personal data and, as such, will determine how your personal data is used. Please see the Department privacy notice here (https://www.phc.ox.ac.uk/about/privacy-policy). The Department will only receive pseudonymised data as collected by its online survey processors for the purposes of research. Research is a task that we perform in the public interest. Further information about your rights with respect to your personal data is available from https://compliance.web.ox.ac.uk/individual-rights.

Responsible members of the University of Oxford and funders may be given access to data for monitoring and/or audit of the study to ensure we are complying with guidelines, or as otherwise required by law.

Who has reviewed this study?

This project was reviewed by, and received ethics clearance through, the University of Oxford Central University Research Ethics Committee (reference number R67215/RE002).

What will happen to the results of this research?

We will communicate the results of this project through email newsletters and press releases. We will also publish the results in academic peer-reviewed journals and through presentations at relevant conferences to reach the wider scientific and public community. The results will be presented at the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre meeting in April 2021 and at conferences. We will publish a summary of the results of our study on the website and if you would like to receive a full copy please contact us. You will not be personally identifiable in any publication.

What if there is a problem?

If you have a concern about any aspect of this project, please contact the study team: power@phc.ox.ac.uk. If you wish to make a formal complaint, please contact the Chair of the Medical Sciences Interdivisional Research Ethics Committee at the University of Oxford: Email: ethics@medsci.ox.ac.uk; Address: Research Services, University of Oxford, Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JD.