Subject: Invitation to Participate in Research on Food Access and Health

Greetings fellow Panther!

You are invited to take part in a research study about your usual access to food. This study is being conducted by myself, Dr. Michael D. Gillespie, Associate Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology here at Eastern Illinois University.

You have been asked to voluntarily participate in this study because you are a student currently enrolled at Eastern Illinois University. 

The aim of this study is to measure whether college students, such as yourself, have adequate access to food and to discover any factors that may place students at risk of not having enough food on a continual basis. This idea is called food insecurity, and studies at other universities around the United States have found that between 25% to 50% of students experience some period where they are without a stable source of food.

If you agree and volunteer to participate, I will ask for 15 to 20 minutes of your time to complete a self-administered questionnaire of no more than 90 questions. Your honest answers will contribute to a better understanding of food insecurity at Eastern Illinois University. Your participation in this study is very valuable because the answers you provide will be used to inform the campus and larger community about this important issue, and will inform the design of activities and services to enhance student access to nutritious food.

Food insecurity is an important, but sensitive topic and therefore some questions may be challenging, or raise some of your emotions. Despite these potential discomforts, it is not anticipated that you will experience any lasting inconvenience or distress from completing this questionnaire; the only other discomfort may be the time it takes to answer the questions openly and honestly.

After completing the questionnaire, in case you feel like you need further assistance, a list of local food assistance resources will be given. Contact information for other resources, including the Eastern Illinois Counseling Center, will also be given for your convenience.

There will be no information collected in this questionnaire that can be identified with you and your responses. Your email address will not be recorded or included with your responses and therefore your information will remain anonymous and confidential, even to the researcher.

This questionnaire is being distributed electronically to offer the most flexibility for you to respond openly and honestly, and in the most comfortable setting for you. Because some questions may be uncomfortable, it is advised that you complete this questionnaire in a private setting.

The electronic questionnaire and can be accessed by clicking on this link:

http://eiu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3Deqtk5YuySndit

Once you complete this questionnaire, your participation is concluded; there will be no follow-up questionnaires or other data collection activities. Please understand that no compensation or academic credit is being offered for your participation.

Thank you for considering this invitation. If you have any questions or concerns about this study, please feel free to contact me, Dr. Michael D. Gillespie, at the telephone number or e-mail address listed below.

Michael D. Gillespie, Ph.D. Associate Professor
Department of Sociology / Anthropology, Eastern Illinois University
Telephone: (734) 717-0901; Email address: mdgillespie@eiu.edu

If you have any questions or concerns about the treatment of human participants in this study, you may call or write:
Institutional Review Board
Eastern Illinois University
600 Lincoln Ave.
Charleston, IL 61920
Telephone: (217) 581-8576 E-mail: eiuirb@www.eiu.edu


To begin the questionnaire, which includes a chance for you to provide your consent to participate, please click on the link below:

http://eiu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3Deqtk5YuySndit

Thank you for your time and consideration!

Dr. Michael Gillespie