Frequently Asked Questions

The Multiethnic Observational Study in American Asian and Pacific Islander Communities (MOSAAIC) is a new health research project. It aims to understand the health issues and differences among people with Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander backgrounds. The study focuses on heart health, diabetes, lung health, and mental health.

During the MOSAAIC Study, we will collect samples of blood, urine, saliva, and stool. We will also measure blood pressure, height, and weight, and ask participants to fill out several surveys.

Participants include people who identify as Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander. We also require that participants are not in active military service, that they can provide reliable contact information, and that they do not plan to move away from the study area in the next five years. Active pregnancy makes one ineligible for the study, but you can get in touch with us again after the baby is born and participate at that time.

It’s a long-term study where participants will provide health information by answering a survey every year, for over ten years.

Yes, participants are expected to travel to one of our research centers to take the in-person exam.

No. Participants are free to take part in MOSAAIC or not, or they can drop out after joining. Whatever a participant decides, their regular medical care will not change. Participants do not give up any personal legal rights when agreeing to take part in this study.

If you agree to be in this study, you will need to do a few things. In the first year, you will fill out surveys about your health, background, medical history, lifestyle, and other factors. We will need your name and contact information. After the first year, you will receive follow-up surveys every year. We will also do some measurements and medical exams. These include checking your blood pressure, pulse, height, weight, waist, and hip size. We will also conduct tests for your heart and lungs. The heart test, called an ECG, measures your heart's activity and takes about 10 minutes. The lung test, called spirometry, measures how much air you breathe in and out and takes about 5-10 minutes. We will also take a fasting blood sample and you will need to fast for 8 hours before you come to the clinic. You will also provide saliva, urine, and stool samples. The stool sample can be collected at home and mailed back to the research center.

This is a long-term study for 10 years or more. We want to see how your current health and lifestyle might affect your future health. Each year, we will ask you about changes in your health and other factors that might impact it. If we get more funding, we might invite you for more medical exams in the future. We hope you will stay in the study and keep giving us health updates. However, you can leave the study at any time if you choose.

We will send your blood and other samples to a central lab for testing and storage. Your information will be combined with data from other participants to study the health of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Island communities. After your exam, you will receive results for your blood pressure, pulse, and body measurements. If your blood pressure is not normal, we will advise you to contact your doctor. About a month later, you will get the results from your blood tests. If anything is abnormal, we will suggest consulting your doctor. We will not give you the results of the heart or lung tests unless they are abnormal. This study does not offer diagnoses, treatment, or cover medical costs. We will link your information to other databases to gather more data on health outcomes and risk factors, like vital status and pollution in your neighborhood. These databases will only get the minimum personal data needed to create valid links.

Study records will be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law. There may be times when we are required by law to release study data. Also, some people or organizations may need to look at research records for quality assurance or data analysis. They include: 1. Researchers involved with this study 2. Institutional Review Boards (IRB), including the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center IRB 3. US National Institutes of Health and the Office of Human Research Protections These people and organizations are interested in study data, not personal information that can identify a participant (for example, birth date). We will do our best to keep participant personal information confidential, but we cannot guarantee it.

The risks of participating in this study are small. Some survey questions might make you uncomfortable, but you can skip any question you don't want to answer. The ECG test may cause mild discomfort, redness, or itching on your chest where we will place small pads. The spirometry test might make you cough or feel lightheaded, but this will go away quickly. The lung medication might cause some discomfort, but we have safety screening questions to ensure it is safe for you. You also won't have to take it if you choose not to. The blood draw might hurt briefly and could cause a bruise or lightheadedness, but our trained staff will minimize these risks. There's a small chance your personal information could be accidentally released, but we will store your data securely to protect your privacy.

There are no costs for being in this study.

After completing the in-person exam, we will give you a small amount of payment as a token of thanks for your time and to help cover the costs of transportation or parking. The detailed payments are subject to the field center’s decisions.