Frequently Asked Questions

To be eligible, participants must reside within Alberta and be 14 years or older. Note that participants under 18 will be required to assent to participate, in addition to providing parental consent. There is no upper age limit for participation.

Because bone and joint diseases take years to develop, it’s important for researchers to study people over a long period of time.  Through the study we will analyze health changes of participants with and without bone and joint conditions, with the goal of helping researchers identify early indicators of disease, improve diagnoses and target effective treatment.

The estimated time commitment for participation is expected to be 60-90 minutes each year to complete the annual health and lifestyle questionnaire. As the study progresses, there may be an additional time commitment for in-person data collection if you are eligible and consent to participate in this aspect of the study. Note in-person data collection is optional and may include specific imaging and/or clinical and laboratory testing at various intervals.

In-person data collection will take place at the Centre for Mobility and Joint Health located within the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health at the Foothills campus of the University of Calgary.

Your anonymized data* will be analyzed by research personnel supporting the study. Certain statistical tests will be carried out on your data, along with that collected from other participants of this study. The results may be used in research funding applications, scientific presentations and publications, and to develop or design future studies.

*Data anonymization is the process of protecting private or sensitive information by erasing or encrypting identifiers (such as name, address, etc.) that connect an individual to stored data.

We are dedicated to ensuring information is stored securely to protect your privacy. Data collected in the Mobility for Life Project is used for research purposes only and is accessible to approved researchers in the project only. Data we collect through online questionnaires and in-person is anonymized* and stored securely in the University of Calgary protected environment.

*Data anonymization is the process of protecting private or sensitive information by erasing or encrypting identifiers (such as name, address, etc.) that connect an individual to stored data.

Your participation is voluntary, so you can withdraw your participation at any point of the study. If you decide to withdraw from the study, information collected up to that point will still be used for scientific purposes, unless you request otherwise. Your results will be kept according to University of Calgary protocols and used with incoming data. Your identity will not be disclosed at any time during the study or after the study ends.

We will contact you by email on an annual basis to invite you to fill out the questionnaire. We may also contact you to invite you to participate in optional in-person data collection at the Centre for Mobility and Joint Health at the University of Calgary.

If you have moved away or have a new email address, please contact us by email at mobilityforlife@ucalgary.ca or by phone at (403) 210-9443 so we can update your participant contact information.