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McMaster University and STEM Camp

ASHA Study Logo McMaster

STEM Camp is proud to partner with McMaster University and their research work through the ASHA study. This critical research has life-saving potential, and recruiting participants is an important step in furthering the work. We’re pleased to bring this message to STEM Camp families, along with the opportunity to participate! Read on for details about the study, benefits of participating, and how to participate.

The ASHA Study:

Deriving Normative 24-hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring Among South Asian Children

About the ASHA Study

Every 7 minutes, someone in Canada dies of heart disease. South Asians have a 4 times greater risk than any other ethnic group in Canada. It is important to learn more about how these diseases affect the South Asian population, and studying children will help us to understand these issues earlier on in their life.  The ASHA study seeks to do just that, aiming to understand how physical activity, diet, and sleep affects blood pressure in South Asian children aged 5-17 years living in Canada.

The ASHA Study is an interdisciplinary research team led by Dr. Rahul Chanchlani (Principal Investigator) at McMaster University, and McMaster Children’s Hospital is conducting the study in the South Asian population. 

Who Can Participate & What’s Involved

Children aged between 5-17 years with both parents from any South Asian country living in Hamilton, Peel region or the GTA in Ontario, or Surrey or Vancouver in British Columbia, can participate in the study. In addition, participants:

  • Should have no pre-existing conditions including hypertension, heart, kidney, or endocrine disorders.
  • Should not be taking medications related to heart, kidney, or endocrine disorders.

The study will enroll participants until 2027.

What does the study involve?

After registration (link), participants will be contacted to participate in the study on a convenient time and site. The study procedure will take 40-45minutes and involves the following steps:

  • Measurements: Physical measurements (e.g., height, body weight, blood pressure, and movement behaviour) will be collected by trained team members
  • 24-hour blood pressure monitoring: Participants will be fitted with an ambulatory blood pressure monitor which includes a blood pressure cuff they will wear for 24 hours.
  • Physical activity: Participants will be provided with a small watch (Acti-graph), that will track body movements throughout seven days.
  • Health surveys: Participants will need to complete a survey on demographics, health behaviours, lifestyle (diet), physical activity, and family history.

To learn more about the study, view this video. 

Benefits of Participating

By participating in the ASHA study, you will be helping advance scientific research about health issues in the South Asian population. Participants will receive:

  • A detailed health report card
  • $15 gift card, and
  • Volunteer certificate from McMaster University

Additionally, if you refer other qualified participants, you will receive another $15 gift card after each successful enrollment.

 

How to Participate

If you are interested in participating, please click here.  

For more information, please email:
Ontario:  asha_sa@mcmaster.ca
British Columbia:  pure@sfu.ca