‘World’s largest’ diet study begins
Half a million volunteers needed for five-year online investigation into links between nutrition and health
ORGANISERS of a major new online study of dietary habits are hoping 500,000 people in France will sign up to take part.
It is planned that NutriNet-Santé will become the world’s largest-ever nutrition study.
NutriNet-Santé is being funded by a range of partners including the Health Ministry, Université Paris-Nord (the main coordinators), Cnam (the national umbrella body for state health insurance) and the state medical research body Inserm.
The aim is to find out more about the role that diet plays in the development of diseases and health problems from cancer to high blood pressure. To get a clear picture the study aims to look at a very large number of people over five years.
To take part you have to be aged 18 or more and living in France. You have to fill in five questionnaires about your health, diet and lifestyle, repeated once a year. You then get monthly e-mails with information about the progress of the study and possibly with follow-up questions. In the first two weeks you also have to fill in diet details on three days, chosen for you at random.
The questions are all answered confidentially online.
In return participants can access a private internet site with health information, facts about the latest medical research and the progress of the study and a discussion forum.
The organisers say taking part would be “an act of exemplary citizenship,” because the results will help improve the health of generations to come.
