As a participant, where can I go for mental/mental help or addiction?
You may feel the need to talk to someone after completing the ABCD questionnaire.
– @Ease: You can visit or chat with @Ease. @Ease is a place where anyone between 12 and 25 can drop by without an appointment to talk about big and small problems. @Ease has locations in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Heerlen and Maastricht. You can find out more about their addresses and opening hours on their website https://ease.nl/.
– Mind Korrelatie: Experiencing mental problems, worried about someone or having problems with others? Then you can contact Mind Korrelatie (call, chat, WhatsApp or email) free of charge and anonymously. For more information, visit MIND Korrelatie.
– 113: If you are experiencing troubling thoughts about death, you can turn to 113 for free. You can call someone here on the numbers 113 or 0800-0113 or chat via the website www.113.nl.
– Roken Infoline: For all your questions about smoking, you can contact the Roken Infoline anonymously. They can be reached on weekdays from 09:00 to 17:00. You can call them at 0900-1995 or email or chat with them at www.rokeninfo.nl.
Alcohol Infoline: For all your questions about alcohol, you can contact the Alcohol Infoline anonymously. They are available on weekdays from 9am to 5pm. You can call them on 0900-1995 or email or chat with them at www.alcoholinfo.nl.
– Drug Infoline: For all your questions about drugs, you can contact the Drug Infoline anonymously. They are available on weekdays from 9am to 5pm. You can call them at 0900-1995 or email or chat with them at www.drugsinfo.nl.
– Gamen Infoline: For all your questions about gaming, you can contact the GamenInfoline anonymously. They can be reached on weekdays from 09:00 to 17:00. You can call them at 0900-1995 or email or chat with them at www.gameninfo.nl.
– Jellinek: For all your questions about alcohol, drugs, gambling, and gaming, you can contact Jellinek. They have a free advice line you can call between 8:30 and 17:00. In addition, you can e-mail them and chat anonymously. You can also request a personal counselling session. For more information, visit Where can I go for advice? – Jellinek.
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General
General: 01. What is the goal of the ABCD study?
The main goal of the ABCD study is to identify and analyse factors in early life (during pregnancy and early childhood) that may explain later health inequalities.
General: 02. Who conducts the ABCD study?
The ABCD study is conducted by Amsterdam UMC in collaboration with several universities and research institutes such as University of Amsterdam (UvA), University of Utrecht (UU) and Sarphati Amsterdam.
General: 03. Where can I find background information about the ABCD study?
You can find information about the ABCD study here.
General: 04. Who has reviewed and approved the studies in the ABCD study?
The ABCD study was approved by the Centrale Commissie Mensgebonden Onderzoek (CCMO) and the Medisch Ethische Toetsings Commissie (METC) of Amsterdam UMC, location AMC.
General: 05. How long will the ABCD study continue?
Participating adolescents will be followed until the age of 25. Although legally starts adulthood at the age of 18 or sometimes 21, we would like to follow the young people for longer. At the age of 18, the body is not fully developed. The brain is not fully developed until around the age of 25.
Moreover, a lot changes in your daily life as a young adult; for instance, you start studying, earn your own money or live independently, and you get more and more responsibility. In the upcoming phases, we want to chart the transition from adolescence to adulthood.
General: 06. Can I participate if I have not participated in the previous phase(s)?
Absolutely!! All the data we collect is valuable to us. So even if you missed previous phases, you can still participate in phase 7.
General: 07. Can I be informed of developments in the study?
You can stay informed by signing up to the digital ABCD newsletter. You will receive this newsletter approximately twice a year. You can sign up via this page.
General: 08. I don’t want to participate in all parts of the measurement phase (questionnaire, tasks, and physical measurements). Can I still participate in the study?
For the study, it is nice if you participate in as many parts as possible. However, we understand if you prefer not to participate in all parts. If you do not want to participate in certain parts, it is always possible to skip these parts.
General: 09. What happens to my data outside the European Union?
The ABCD study also has collaborations outside the European Union. In this case, we will also send your coded data to countries outside the European Union. Analyses on body material may also be determined outside the European Union.
In these countries, the privacy rules of the European Union do not apply. We will ask your permission for this separately. However, before we enter into a cooperation outside the European Union, together with the lawyers of the Legal Research Support department of Amsterdam UMC, we draw up a contract for the cooperation partner to sign. The contract will include privacy rules, among other things. So that even when sharing data outside the European Union, we ensure that the strict privacy rules of the European Union are followed.
Accelerometer
Accelerometer: 01. What is a GeneActiv / accelerometer?
A GeneActiv is a type of accelerometer. It is worn on your wrist like a watch and is similar to a smartwatch. The device continuously measures how much you move, including at night. Because of these continuous measurements, researchers can get a good picture of how much you move. It also gives a lot of information about your sleep pattern.
Participants: 01. Where can I find more information on the rights of research participants?
The Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act (Wet medisch-wetenschappelijk onderzoek met mensen) describes the rights of research subjects. More information can be found in the brochure Medical-scientific research: general information for the test subject (in Dutch) and on the website of the Centrale Commissie Mensgebonden Onderzoek.
Participants: 02. I am moving and leaving Amsterdam. Can I still participate?
Yes, very much so! If you have ever participated in the ABCD study, you can continue to participate in the study. Even if you move outside Amsterdam.
Participants: 03. My contact details have changed. How can I pass this on?
You can pass on your contact details here.
Participants: 04. Can I do an internship in the ABCD study?
The ABCD study offers some scientific internship opportunities every year. For more information look here.
Data processing
Data processing: 01. What happens to my data after completing the questionnaires?
Your data is collected, stored and used for scientific research. Everyone who participates in the ABCD study is given their own code. Your name will be omitted and only the code will be used for the study. Your identity remains secret and is not used in data processing. All your data will therefore remain confidential.
Physical measurements
Physical measurements: 01. Will I get the results of the measurements?
When examining your blood or blood pressure, we may happen to find something that is not directly relevant to the study, but is relevant to your health or the health of your family members. The researcher will then contact you. You can then discuss with your own GP what needs to be done. The costs for this are covered by your own health insurance. The consent form gives you permission for us to inform you about unexpected findings.
We will also send you the results of the physical examinations in the form of a letter.
Physical measurements: 02. How long do the physical measurements take?
If you participate in all parts, the physical measurements take a maximum of 60 minutes in total.
Physical measurements: 03. How can I schedule an appointment for the physical measurements?
After you have received an e-mail inviting you to the physical measurements, you can make an appointment here.
You can also call (06-83 56 98 50) or e-mail us to schedule an appointment.
Physical measurements: 04. I am unable to come to my appointment. How can I reschedule/cancel my appointment?
It may happen that you are unable to come at the time of the appointment and would like to reschedule/cancel your appointment. We would like to hear about this as soon as possible, so that we can free up valuable time for another participant. You can inform us by sending an email or calling/texting 06-83 56 98 50.
Physical measurements: 05. Who performs the physical measurements?
Physical measurements are performed by trained staff from the ABCD team, research assistants, and interns from the ABCD study. Everyone who performs the measurements has received training for this purpose and performs the measurements according to a pre-tested measurement protocol.
Physical measurements: 06. How will my privacy be ensured during the physical measurements?
During physical measurements, we ask you to come in sportswear: shorts and top/shirt with short sleeves. For certain measurements, we will ask you to raise your shirt slightly. We will, of course, respect your privacy. The measurements will be taken in closed rooms.
Physical measurements: 07. What should I bring with me to the measurement appointment?
Please bring the subject information with you to the study. Together we will go through this information, after which the consent form will be signed by you and the researcher.
During the physical measurements, we ask you to put on sportswear: shorts and top/shirt with short sleeves. You can change clothes at our location. We will also have some food and drinks ready for you.
Physical measurements: 08. How should I prepare for the examination?
If you participate in blood sampling (by finger prick), we ask you not to eat or drink anything for 3 hours beforehand (water and tea without sugar are okay). No preparation is required for the other examinations.
Physical measurements: 09. What is the best way to get to the location?
The MF building is best reached by public transport, but can also be reached by car. The building is located on the grounds of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), next to the VUmc. Directions to VU can be found on the VU website or you can navigate to Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam. Once inside the building, you can follow the description in the confirmation e-mail or the signs inside the building to the ABCD meeting room on the 3rd floor. Tip: check the highlight ‘Route physical measurements’ on our Instagram for explanations on how to get to the ABCD measurement room.
Physical measurements: 10. Are there any costs involved in participating in the physical measurements?
Participation in the measurements is free of charge. Any travel and parking expenses will be reimbursed.
Questionnaire
Questionnaire: 01. Is there an ABCD app?
No, there is no special app to complete the questionnaire like in the previous phase. The questionnaire can be completed online on a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. The link for the online questionnaire will be sent to you or can be found here. Of course, it is also possible to complete the questionnaire on paper. Send us an e-mail if you would like the questionnaire to be sent to your home address.
Questionnaire: 02. I have lost my login details. Where can I retrieve them?
If you can no longer find your login details, please send an e-mail to abcd-fase7@amsterdamumc.nl.
Questionnaire: 03. How long does the questionnaire take to complete?
The online questionnaire takes about 50 minutes.
Questionnaire: 04. Can I save my answers in the meantime?
Yes, you can! In the online questionnaire, you will see a button in the top right corner with ‘save answers’. You can take a break as often as you like and decide for yourself when to continue with the questionnaire.
Questionnaire: 05. Will my parents also receive a questionnaire?
Now that all ABCD participants are adults, we will only administer questionnaires to participants. Therefore, your parents will not receive any questionnaires from now on.
Questionnaire: 06. On which device can I fill in the online questionnaire ?
You can fill in the online questionnaire on mobile phone, tablet or laptop. Please note: The additional tasks can only be completed on a laptop/computer.
Questionnaire: 07. I did not receive a Bol.com voucher. What happens now?
Within 2 weeks after completion you will receive your bol.com code via the specified email address. The e-mail address may not be correct. If you have not received a code after 2 weeks, please send an email to abcd-fase7@amsterdamumc.nl.
Questionnaire: 08. How long is my Bol.com code valid?
Bol.com codes are valid for 3 years after you have received them.
Questionnaire: 09. Where can I go for questions about the contents of the questionnaire, e.g. if I do not understand a question?
For questions or comments about the questionnaire, please contact Noekie van Lieshout: WhatsApp: 06 – 83 56 98 50, tel: 020-5661252 or e-mail: abcd-fase7@amsterdamumc.nl.
Questionnaire: 10. Can my parents see my answers?
No! Your parents cannot see your answers! Your answers remain anonymous. Also, we will not tell your parents whether or not you participated in phase 7.