Dear Participants,
On behalf of the entire team at the Nurses’ Health Study 3, I want to express our sincere gratitude for your participation and feedback throughout 2024. Thanks to your support, NHS3 established a mission and vision, published findings, collected new data, and secured funding for future projects. Here’s a look at some highlights from 2024, which would not have been possible without you:
Mission and Vision
At the beginning of the year, the NHS3 Research Team articulated the following mission and vision statements influenced by your feedback:
Mission: To advance scientific discovery that addresses crucial and evolving public health issues while engaging with a diverse population at the forefront of healthcare and research.
Vision: To generate knowledge that improves the health and well-being of our participants and populations worldwide.
Publications
This year, ten papers were published utilizing Nurses’ Health Study 3 data. With your support, NHS3 made advancements in areas such as mental health, chronic diseases, COVID-19, and pregnancy research.
Learn more about two of these publications below:
Nurses’ use of ‘wellness’ supplements during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we gathered data about your use of supplements. Research findings suggest that the heightened use among nurses may be linked to workplace and psychosocial stressors.
Measuring Environmental and Behavioral Drivers of Chronic Diseases Using Smartphone-Based Digital Phenotyping: Intensive Longitudinal Observational mHealth Substudy Embedded in 2 Prospective Cohorts of Adults
Between 2021 and 2024, nearly 2,000 NHS3 participants downloaded and used the Beiwe app, contributing accelerometry and GPS data and periodically completing in-app questions for up to one year. Thank you to everyone who participated! In the first publication to come from this sub-study, researchers demonstrated the feasibility of collecting data relevant to chronic disease risk both actively and passively in very large groups of people for extended periods of time. This is by far one of the largest studies of its kind. This success was possible due to experience gained from a previous sub-study involving 500 NHS3 participants. It has since opened the door to a current effort enrolling up to 1,000 NHS3 participants from whom we are collecting sleep data using wrist-worn wearables to learn more about the relation between sleep and cardiovascular health. .
For a complete list of NHS3 publications, please visit nhs3.org/about/publications/
Questionnaires and Sub-studies
Thank you to those who participated in an NHS3 sub-study or supplemental questionnaire in 2024. Your involvement allows researchers to delve deeper into topics than they normally can on a typical NHS3 questionnaire.
Learn more about two of these sub-studies below:
Tattoos
A supplemental questionnaire on tattoos asked participants a handful of questions about their tattoos. Your contributions are greatly appreciated, and researchers have enjoyed reading the stories behind your body ink. The Tattoos Questionnaire finished data collection in 2024, and researchers are currently analyzing the data – stay tuned for future publications!
Biospecimen Collection
For the past three years, participants in the NHS3 Biospecimen Collection have received a kit to collect blood, urine, and stool samples. In 2024, a record number of NHS3 participants returned samples: over 40% of all samples received so far were returned in the last year. Thank you for providing samples that will serve as an invaluable resource in future research on heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and asthma, among other topics.
The NHS3 Biospecimen Collection is ongoing, and it’s not too late to return a kit. Please email biospecimen@bwh.harvard.edu with any questions.
Newly Funded Projects
The Nurses’ Health Study 3 relies primarily on grant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In 2024, NHS3 was fortunate to receive new funding for projects focusing on breast cancer and migraines.
Exposomics of Breast Density
Drs. Francine Laden and Rulla Tamimi have been awarded an NIH grant to research environmental and social determinants of mammographic features. NHS3 participants in this sub-study will share digital mammographic images. The findings will contribute valuable insights into the environmental factors contributing to breast cancer risk, ultimately aiming to reduce the burden of breast cancer.
You can read more about the grant here: Environmental and social determinants of mammographic features
Migraine and Affective Disorders During Hormonal Fluctuations
Dr. Holly Crowe has received an NIH grant to examine the relationship between migraines, affective disorders, and hormonal fluctuations. This research aims to improve risk assessment, screening, and treatment options for females with both affective disorders and migraines.
You can read more about the grant here: Characterization and Digital Phenotyping of Migraine and Affective Disorders during Hormonal Fluctuations across the Life Course
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In 2025, the Nurses’ Health Study 3 is celebrating 15 years of research! Whether you are a new participant or have been a part of NHS3 since the beginning, this significant milestone is entirely thanks to you. We sincerely appreciate your support and participation. In the future, we look forward to conducting more research that is meaningful to NHS3 participants.
Sincerely,
Jorge E. Chavarro
Principal Investigator
If you have any comments or questions about NHS3, contact us at NHS3@channing.harvard.edu