Georgia State University, Department of Anthropology Informed Consent Form for Focus Group Title: Women, Food, Body, Health and Power: Exploring the Connections Principal Investigators: Dr. Cassandra White and Dr. Melinda Mills I. Introduction/Background/Purpose:
You are invited to be in a research study because you expressed an interest in talking with other women about food. The aim of the study is to study how women of different backgrounds relate to food. This study looks at women‘s experiences with food. We hope to do so by having women talk about their lives in focus groups. A total of 20 women between the ages of 18-80 will be asked to be in this study. We plan to conduct 4 focus groups. Each involves asking a group of 5 women to talk about food. The focus group will also have topics about how women make, eat, and choose food.
We will meet in the focus groups for 1-2 hours to talk about food issues. You will be asked to come to only one focus group, which will take 1-2 hours of your time. As a follow-up, you may be asked to keep a food diary and do an interview and survey. We will videotape and audiotape these focus group
meetings.. This will allow us to study the individual and group responses, as well as the interactions among the women during the discussion.
II. Procedures:
If you decide to do the focus group, you will be asked to give information about yourself that helps us get to know you. Possible places for the focus groups may be rooms on the campus of Georgia State
University in the Department of Anthropology or the Department of Sociology. You will be asked to talk with and respect the other women in the focus group, and us, the researchers conducting the focus group. We will set ground rules for conduct at the start of each focus group. Your main interaction will be with other participants and the researchers.
We plan to do these focus groups over the next 6 months. You are being asked to be in only one focus group, which will meet one time for up to two hours. In the focus groups, we will ask each young woman to share experiences and ideas about their relationship to food. We hope to learn more about how women think about food and use food as a reward and punishment. Your input in our discussion is very
important to us. We want to hear what you have to say.
You may be asked to talk about one or more of these topics: what foods you buy (such as where, when, and why you buy food; how much you spend on food); what foods you eat or what foods you do not eat (and the reasons for these choices); what food means to you; what foods you make for others (i.e., for friends, a party, etc.) and reasons for these food choices; what food concerns you have (also about religion, culture, and values); and what memories you attach to foods.
It is possible that being in this study may cause you distress. You may feel not feel comfortable with some of the questions. The ideas you express may differ from other women in the focus group. Because of this, we will set ground rules for the discussion. This is to make sure that everyone (participants and researchers) feels respected and listened to. While you may politely disagree or challenge others, you may not disrespect others in the focus group. If you feel that the focus group has created stress, we will give you information on counseling services. You are responsible for any of the costs of these counseling services.
IV. Benefits:
You may or may not benefit directly from being in this study. These include how you feel about making and eating food. The benefit may be that you enjoy talking to young women of diverse backgrounds about food. We hope to learn more about how women relate to food, do food chores, and reward or punish themselves with food. The study may help us think of ways to improve women’s lives.
V. Voluntary Participation and Withdrawal:
Participation in research is voluntary. You do not have to be in this study. If you decide to be in the study and change your mind, you have the right to drop out at any time. You may skip questions or stop being in the study at any time. Whatever you choose, you will not lose any benefits to which you are entitled. Also, we also have the right to end the focus group, but this will not cause you to lose any benefits to which you are entitled.
VI. Confidentiality:
We will try to keep your personal data private. Your privacy will be kept to the extent allowed by law. We will use your initials, rather than your name, on study records. Your name and other facts that might point to you will not appear when we present this study or publish its results. The findings will be summarized and reported in group form. You will not be identified personally on any written documents. Because this study involves focus groups, we cannot guarantee complete secrecy. In each focus group setting, we will ask everyone to respect the ideas of everyone present, but we cannot ensure that what is shared in the group will be kept private (by the other people in the group). We will ask all the participants not to share what is discussed in the focus group outside of the research setting.
The audio and video taped focus group will be kept in a locked file cabinet in a locked room. We will be the only people who will have access to the tapes. The tapes will only be used to get an exact report of what was said. Any audio and videotapes of you will also be kept in a locked file cabinet in a locked room. The tapes will be kept in a private archive, until destroyed once data collection is complete.
VII. Georgia State University Disclaimer:
If you have any question about this study, or believe you have suffered any injury because of participation in the study, you may contact Dr. Cassandra White at 404-413-5150 or [email protected], or Dr. Melinda Mills at 404-413-6534 or [email protected].
Call Dr. Cassandra White at 404-413-5150 or Melinda Mills at 404-413-6534 if you have questions about this study. If you have questions or concerns about your rights as a participant in this research study, you may contact Susan Vogtner, Institutional Review Board (IRB) Compliance Specialist, at the Office of Research Integrity, which oversees the protection of human research participants, at 404-413-3513 or [email protected].
IX. Copy of Consent Form to Subject:
We will give you a copy of this consent form to keep.
If you are willing to volunteer for this research and be audio and video taped, please sign below.
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Participant Date
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Principal Investigator Date
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Principal Investigator Date