WHY SHOULD I JOIN?

Our story 

Our team includes experienced researchers who have worked for many years in the School of Public Health and the Medical School at the University of Minnesota.  We have a passion for understanding what affects our health and well-being. The 10,000 Families Study provides an opportunity to gather information that can be used to develop better advice on how to live a healthy life and to guide policies to promote health and reduce illness. 

Our team started the 10,000 Families Study to address the unique health needs of Minnesota. For example, Minnesota has a large population living in rural areas, where exposures to environmental factors are very different than in urban areas.  Further, communities of color are growing in numbers. Today 25% of all new births in the state are from those communities. Equally important, Minnesota has 11 American Indian reservations and a large urban American Indian population--more than most cities and states. 

We are also excited about beginning to use new technologies for gathering health measurements. These technologies make the collection of samples and information  easier in-person and give us the ability to collect them remotely. 

Finally, we want to provide other health researchers a source of information they can use to do more research to benefit health now and into the future. 

So why is it important that you join us in this adventure?

Because without you and families like yours it is impossible to have a real representation of the state population. You might be part of a majority or of a minority group, but your community needs to be represented. Without your community, our results will be inconclusive. 

Decisions on how to improve the health of the population, and how to assign resources to support those goals, are made everyday. These decisions should be made based on real findings, not on guesses or opinions. Minnesota needs those decisions to be tailored to its unique needs. We want to learn and share accurate information to improve the health of future generations.

We are encouraging not only your community but others, not only urban areas, but suburban and rural, and not only traditional families, but non-traditional families, to join us. We are committed to being inclusive and welcoming everyone in Minnesota and their family members in neighboring states (North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin)    

Benefits

• Receiving results from some testing done at the health visit and some environmental tests, when available.
• As a participant you are helping make sure that study findings reflect and benefit the whole community, and you are also contributing to science!

Compensation

• The following applies to participants:

• $30 e-gift card - awarded after you complete your health visit:
  • for completing your questionnaire, HIPAA & consent
  • for completing your health visit
• $5 e-gift card - after returning your wristband
• $5 e-gift card - for sending back your home radon test (One per household only)

Testimonies

“I am participating in this study with my family to help researchers learn more about how to keep families healthy.  It is so interesting how we are each born with genetic patterns, but we have lots of choices we can make to be healthier.  I want to help learn more about the connection there.”--Maria

“I thought it would be a good opportunity to demonstrate a piece of the scientific/research process to my son.  I’m hoping the results can help Minnesota to provide a healthy environment for all our children and families to grow up in.”--Eric - Software Engineer 

For additional questions or concerns

Do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or “Connect with Us”.

Have more questions, review our frequently asked questions.