In coordination with the Hawaii Digital Health lab at the University of Hawaii - Manoa, we are conducting a study to see how screen time and study habits affect the stress level of college students. The health sensor app is designed to collect this data securely and privately.

Privacy Policy

Our number one priority is to make sure that your privacy is maintained throughout the study. To ensure your privacy, ALL DATA will be anonymous. Your name, email, course, or any other personally identifiable information will never be collected. We will never be able to personally connect you with the data you provide. If you wish to stop participating in the study, simply delete the app.

Information that we collect

We collect the following data:

Your daily check-in report.
Your total daily screen time usage. (We do not collect what apps or sites you use.)
Your location ONLY when you enter or exit the library on campus. We use this to calculate the total time you spend studying in the library. We need background location access to be able to automatically calculate this study time. You can disable location sharing in the app at any time. The only time we will collect your location is when you enter or exit the library.

We DO NOT collect any personally identifiable information or any other data other than what is listed above.

How is the information stored

The data we collect is securely stored in the cloud using industry-standard technology.

How will this information be used

We will use this information to analyze correlations between screen time, study time, and stress levels. All data will be reported as group data.

What if I wish to stop participating in the study and remove my data

If you no longer wish to participate in the study, simply delete the app from your phone. We will only use data from individuals who have completed the study as reported by the app. If you do not complete the study, your data will be removed from the study findings.

We will never sell any of the data collected. We will analyze the data collected and report it as group data. We will not share the raw data with anyone other than what may be required by the law. The University of Hawai’i Human Studies Program has the right to review research records (the data collected) for this study.

What do I need to do?

All you need to do to participate in this study is install the app. The app will request your consent to participate in the study. (The consent information is also provided below.) The app will request to use your location (see below), but it will only use your location when you enter or exit the library. You can then check in by reporting whether your stress level is good, ok, or bad. The app will send daily notifications reminding you to check in each day. You can see your progress on the app. After 30 days, the study will be finished and you can take a screenshot of the app and submit it to your instructor for extra credit. Please see Canvas or your instructor for details about the extra credit.

FAQ

Why do you need my location?

The only time the app sees your location is when you enter or exit the library. The app never receives your location at any other time. The app will not be able to determine where you live, when you leave campus, where you go off-campus, or even track your movement around campus.

We know that you may study at different places on campus, but to ensure your privacy, we will ONLY track the time that you study in the library, which is sufficient for this study.

This is the information the app provides when you consent to be a research subject.

Introduction

Aloha! My name is Christopher Slade, and you are invited to take part in a research study. I am a faculty member of BYU – Hawaii. In conjunction with Peter Washington, a faculty member at the University of Hawaii, we are conducting a study to see how screen time and study habits affect stress in college students. You were selected to participate because you are currently taking a class at BYU – Hawaii that is participating in this study.

What am I being asked to do?

If you participate in this project, you will be asked to install an app on your smartphone. The app will send you a daily notification to check in and report your stress level for 30 days. To participate, all you need to do is check in every day.

The app will ONLY collect the following data: 1) your daily check-in report, 2) your daily total screen time usage, and 3) the amount of time you spend in BYU-Hawaii’s library.

All data collected will be anonymous. We will have no way to associate the data collected with you, the participant.

Taking part in this study is your choice.

Your participation in this project is completely voluntary. You may stop participating at any time. To stop participating, delete the app from your smartphone. If you stop participating in the study, there will be no penalty or loss to you. Your grade or status in your class will not be affected, and you can still submit an alternative extra credit assignment.

Why is this study being done?

The purpose of our study is to determine how screentime and study time affect stress in college students. We hope that this data can help find ways to help reduce stress for college students.

What will happen if I decide to take part in this study?

After you install the app on your smartphone, you will be asked to consent to participate in this study. After consenting, you can check in once a day. The app will send a daily notification reminding you to check in. It will also anonymously collect total screen time usage and use your location to determine if you have entered or exited the library. The app CAN NOT access your location at any other time. After 30 days, you will be prompted to submit a screenshot of your app to Canvas to receive extra credit.

What are the risks and benefits of taking part in this study?

There are minimal risks to participation in this study. However, you may worry about this app collecting personal information. This app will never collect any personally identifiable information, nor will the researchers of this study be able to specifically identify the data you have shared through the app as belonging to you.

There are no direct benefits to participating in this study. However, it is hoped that through your participation researchers will learn more about mobile device usage and how applications can be developed to reduce stress and develop good study habits.

Confidentiality and Privacy:

All information collected from the app will remain confidential and will only be reported as group data with no identifying information, especially since no identifying information is collected. Also, any data collected will never be associated with any personally identifiable information throughout the entire study. All data will be securely stored using industry-standard technology. Other agencies that have legal permission have the right to review research records. The University of Hawai’i Human Studies Program has the right to review research records for this study.

Compensation

You will receive extra credit in your course by participating in this study. The exact details are posted in Canvas or provided by your instructor. If you do not wish to participate in this study, an alternative extra credit assignment will be provided.

Future Research Studies

Even after removing identifiers, the data from this study will not be used or distributed for future research studies.

Questions

If you have any questions about this study, please call or email me at 808.675.3471 or christopher.slade@byuh.edu. You may also contact my faculty advisor, Dr. Peter Washington, at pyw@hawaii.edu. You may contact the UH Human Studies Program at 808.956.5007 or uhirb@hawaii.edu to discuss problems, concerns and questions, obtain information or offer input with an informed individual who is unaffiliated with the specific research protocol. Please visit http://go.hawaii.edu/jRd for more information on your rights as a research participant.