Rural Neighborhood Environments and Physical Activity Study

About this study

This study is led by Dr. Marc Adams at Arizona State University (ASU) and Dr. Marilyn Wende at the University of Florida (UF). The ASU Institutional Review Board is the IRB of record. The research is funded by the National Cancer Institute under award R21-CA293976.

Adults aged 45 or older who live in selected rural locations may be invited to complete a one-time online survey in English or Spanish. Participation generally takes 20 to 45 minutes. Approximately 1,200 people are expected to participate.

Information we collect

This website uses Facebook sign-in to create or retrieve one personal Qualtrics survey link. The bridge stores your Facebook profile ID, name, a non-deliverable placeholder email, authentication records, your personal-link identifiers, and advertising attribution values such as fbclid or UTM parameters when present. We do not request your real email address from Facebook.

For security, reliability, and study traffic analysis, the bridge also records a random telemetry session identifier, IP address, browser and device information, viewport and screen dimensions, and whether a visit appears to come from a Facebook advertisement. Advertising attribution values such as fbclid may be included in telemetry logs and traces.

The Qualtrics survey may ask about physical activity, daily routines, neighborhood walkability, safety and social environment, age, sex, race or ethnicity, income, education, health, and home address. Your address is used to confirm eligibility and connect responses with neighborhood characteristics.

How information is used

Bridge information is used to prevent duplicate participation, return you to the same personal survey link, and understand how people reached the study. Survey information is used to examine how rural neighborhood features, including sidewalks, lighting, and traffic control, relate to physical activity and health.

De-identified survey data may be combined with neighborhood-level information from public datasets and artificial-intelligence analysis for this study and future research that is not yet planned. Your name will not appear in study reports or publications.

Sharing and service providers

Authorized research staff at ASU and UF may access study information. Facebook provides authentication, and Qualtrics hosts the survey and its personal links. Information may also be disclosed when required by law or research oversight. Study access is limited to authorized personnel and systems intended to protect confidentiality.

Retention and deletion requests

De-identified research data may be stored securely at ASU and UF for up to six years after the study ends. You may request deletion of information held by this Facebook-to-Qualtrics bridge at any time. After you authenticate, the bridge records the request for processing within 30 days; it does not immediately delete your record.

Research responses already submitted to Qualtrics may be retained when required by the study protocol, law, or research-integrity obligations. Contact the study team to discuss a submitted survey.

Request deletion of bridge data

Your choices

Taking part is voluntary. You may stop participating at any time without penalty or loss of benefits from ASU or UF. Choosing not to participate does not create any alternative activity or requirement. Participants who complete and submit the survey receive a $15 gift card. There is no direct personal benefit from participating.

Security and privacy risk

Study files are stored on password-protected secure systems with access limited to the research team. Reasonable safeguards are used, but no system can eliminate the possibility of unauthorized access or loss of confidentiality.

Contact us

Questions about the study or this privacy policy can be directed to Dr. Marc Adams at Marc.Adams@asu.edu or 480-884-2544.

Questions about your rights as a research participant can be directed to the Arizona State University Office of Research Compliance at 480-965-6788 or research.integrity@asu.edu.