Sub-studies
Sub-studies enroll a subset of participants from NHS3 and collect additional information, or data, from them. Sub-studies allow investigators to address novel and focused research questions that ultimately teach us more about health and disease. NHS3 has sub-studies that investigate biological markers of disease, environmental exposures, maternal health, physical activity, and more.
This sub-study uses the Beiwe smartphone app to securely collect location and movement data, allowing NHS3 and GUTS to research the health impacts of physical activity, sleep, and local environment. The Beiwe smartphone app is a data collection platform for iOS and Android devices. The app was developed by the Onnela lab at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Participants in this study will run a smartphone application on their phone for 1 year.
Your privacy is important to us. All Beiwe data is encrypted while stored on the phone awaiting upload and while in transit, and are re-encrypted for storage on the study server. All data is stored with a unique study ID number, not with your name. Your data will only ever be used for research purposes. We have a Certificate of Confidentiality from the National Institutes of Health, which means we cannot be forced (for example by court order or subpoena) to disclose your health information or other identifying information from the research in any Federal, State or local civil, criminal, administrative, legislative, or other proceedings.
This study is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Have questions? Refer to the Beiwe Smartphone Sub-study Fact Sheet.
The purpose of the Biospecimen Collection is to collect blood, urine, and stool samples to study how biological markers may be associated with cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. The long-term goals of the research are to learn how to better understand, prevent, diagnose or treat congenital heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and asthma.
Participants who enroll in the study will provide a stool and urine sample from the comfort of their own home, then visit their local Quest Diagnostics Patient Service Center to have blood drawn. The study will enroll eligible and willing participants from the Nurses’ Health Study 3 and Growing Up Today Study.
Your privacy is important to us. Your biospecimens will only be used for research purposes. We will never share your data with insurance companies or law enforcement. We have a Certificate of Confidentiality from the National Institutes of Health, which means we cannot be forced (for example by court order or subpoena) to disclose your health information or other identifying information from the research in any Federal, State or local civil, criminal, administrative, legislative, or other proceedings.
This study is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Curious to learn more? Refer to the Biospecimen Collection Fact Sheet.
The purpose of the NHS3 Maternal Health, Maternal Biology Study is to better understand the interplay between mind and body just before and during pregnancy. Participants will be asked about factors that may affect mind and body, including personality traits, difficult experiences, early life events, and complementary and alternative health practices.
Participants who enroll are asked to donate blood and hair samples once during pregnancy, and, if possible, a blood sample before pregnancy.
A main goal of the study is to better understand how past and current life experiences affect biology during pregnancy. The hair and blood samples will be used to assess biomarkers that are thought to be related both to environmental factors (such as stress, social support, and resilience) and to healthy pregnancy. The hair sample will be used to assess cortisol, a hormone related to stress. The blood samples will be used to assess several markers of immune function and inflammation and to measure thyroid function.
The study is funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Have Questions? Refer to the Maternal Health, Maternal Biology Sub-study FAQ Page.
NHS3’s Home Environment Study (NHEST) is collecting environmental samples from the homes of participants to study how chemicals in the home and neighborhood environment may affect health.
Participants who enroll in the study will wear a wristband that collects personal chemical exposures for 7 days, run a home air quality monitor for 7 days, and collect samples of dust and tap water from their home.
This study is funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
Want to learn more? Refer to the Nurses’ Home Environment Sub-Study Fact Sheet.
Have questions? Refer to the Nurses’ Home Environment FAQ Page.
This sub-study uses Fitbits and sleep diaries to securely collect sleep data, allowing NHS3 to learn how sleep disturbances (e.g., sleep duration, quality and variability) may affect people’s health.
Participants who enroll in the study will be asked to wear a Fitbit and keep a sleep diary for 14 days.
For this study, we are inviting participants who have already provided biological samples as part of the Chronic Disease Biospecimen Collection (CDBC). By combining sleep data with biomarker data, researchers will be better able to investigate the role of sleep in cardiometabolic disease risk.
Your privacy is important to us. All Fitbit account data is encrypted while stored on the phone, awaiting upload, and in transit. Data is re-encrypted when stored on the study server. All data is stored with a unique study ID number, not with your name. Your data will only ever be used for research purposes. We have a Certificate of Confidentiality from the National Institutes of Health, which means we cannot be forced (for example by court order or subpoena) to disclose your health information or other identifying information from the research in any Federal, State or local civil, criminal, administrative, legislative, or other proceedings. All collected data are IP firewalled and password protected.
This study is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Want to learn more? Refer to the NHS3 Sleep Sub-study Fact Sheet.
Have questions? Refer to the NHS3 Sleep Sub-study FAQ.
The purpose of this sub-study is to help us identify the best ways to measure physical activity and sleep using smartphones and wearable devices. This sub-study compares measurements of physical activity and sleep in research-grade accelerometers (Actisleeps) to those from Fitbits and the smartphone app, Beiwe. Developed by the Onnela lab at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Beiwe smartphone app is a data collection platform for iOS and Android devices that collects movement data that can be used to measure sleep and physical activity.
In this sub-study, participants wear a research-grade accelerometer (Actisleep) and a Fitbit device on their wrist and use the Beiwe application to answer daily questions about their sleep for 14 days.
Your privacy is important to us. All Beiwe and Fitbit data is encrypted while stored on the phone awaiting upload and while in transit, and are re-encrypted for storage on the study server. All data is stored with a unique study ID number, not with your name. Your data will only ever be used for research purposes. We have a Certificate of Confidentiality from the National Institutes of Health, which means we cannot be forced (for example by court order or subpoena) to disclose your health information or other identifying information from the research in any Federal, State or local civil, criminal, administrative, legislative, or other proceedings.
This study is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Want to learn more? Refer to the NHS3 Sleep and Physical Activity Sub-study Fact Sheet.
Have questions? Refer to the NHS3 Sleep and Physical Activity Sub-study FAQ.