The study will ask you to collect your own blood by finger stick and then mail those samples back to The Ohio State University. You will also complete a brief questionnaire. Gallup will mail you a small package that has all the materials you need to collect 5 drops of blood at home. The blood spots that you send to The Ohio State University will be mailed without any information that could be used to identify you as an individual.
These dried blood spot samples will be stored at The Ohio State University (OSU). Measures of health will be done by our team of researchers at OSU, Northwestern University, and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Your blood samples will never be sent to any other institution for any reason.
In addition, your blood specimens will never be used for genetic research (mapping your DNA or whole genome sequencing) at any time.
The types of tests that may be conducted are listed below.
- Inflammatory Markers are associated in risk for cardiovascular disease and other chronic health conditions. Examples include C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL6), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α).
- Appetite Hormones affect feelings of hunger and are linked with risk for obesity. These include adiponectin, insulin, and leptin.
- Reproductive Health Markers provide an indication of the health of the reproductive system; for example, in women, Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) provides information about fertility, which has been linked with stress in some studies.
- Immune Function may be assessed by measuring markers including levels of cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibodies. These are viruses that most people carry. Higher antibodies are linked with greater stress exposure.
- Blood Cell Function may be assessed to determine how the functioning of cells in the body are affected by factors including stress and poor sleep.
- COVID-19 Antibodies may be examined to determine prior exposure to the novel coronavirus. These data may be used to see if COVID-19 antibody levels are associated with differences in inflammatory markers, which are the main focus of this study.
