Information for Study Participants
1
Why have I been selected to participate in the Harvard Second Generation Study?
If you have recived a letter or phone call asking you to participate in the Harvard Second Generation Study it is because your father or step-father was a member of the original Study of Adult Development. We wish to continue this 70-year longitudinal study with the next generation, in the hopes of answering important questions about how early-life experiences affect mid-life health and aging.
2
What does my participation entail?
You are free to participate as much or as little as you feel comfortable. Currently, participation in the study only entails filling out a short, 25-minute, online questionnaire. All second generation participants should soon be receiving a newsletter from the lab with further details on contacting us and receiving the most recent questionnaire. As an expression of our thanks, participants will receive monetary gifts upon completion of each part of the study. All responses will be kept de-identified and confidential.
3
Who runs the study?
The Harvard Second Generation Study is being conducted by the Laboratory of Adult Development at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, headed by Dr. Robert Waldinger. The Harvard Second Generation Study is funded in part by the National Institute on Aging. Our offices are still located in Boston near the MGH Main Campus.