Criteria, Details and FAQs
1. Who can participate in this research study?
Cis- and trans-women living with HIV who are able to fluently speak and read English and who live in Lower Mainland of Vancouver
2. Who should I contact if I am interested in participating?
Please email [email protected] or call 604-827-1856. At the beginning of May, a team member will contact you to ensure that you are eligible, to go over the study, and sign the consent form.
3. What does this research study entail?
- If enrolled in the research study, you will also be asked to complete a questionnaire and a blood draw at the beginning (in May) and at the end (in September) of the study.
- You will be expected to attend 2 dance classes per week from June to August 2022.
- Lastly, you will be asked to participate in a focus group at the end of the study to discuss your experience taking dance classes and to help us improve the Positively Dance Program.
4. When and where will the dance classes take place?
The dance classes will take place at the Scotiabank Dance Center (677 Davie St, Vancouver, BC). Dates and times will be confirmed closer to the date, however one class will likely be on a weekday and one on the weekend.
5. Will I be compensated for my time?
The dance classes will be completely free of charge. Unfortunately, due to low funds, we are unable to provide an honorarium for participating in the dance classes. However, you will receive a total of $125.00 for participating in research activities (questionnaire, blood draws, and focus group).
- You will receive a $10 honorarium for participating in a phone call to learn
about the study, $30 per blood draw for a total of 2 blood draws (1 blood
draw pre dance program and 1 blood draw post dance program for a total of
$60). - You will also receive $15 for each questionnaire completion (for a total of
$30 for 2 questionnaire completion time points pre and post dance
program). - Lastly, you will receive $25 for participating in a 1-hour focus group to
discuss your experiences attending dance classes.
6. Do I need any dance experience to participate?
Not at all! The dance classes are open to all levels, and will be designed by the peer dance instructor tailored to the women enrolled.
7. Will everyone who participates in the study get to take dance classes?
- Eventually yes, but not right away. We are looking to enroll approximately 40 women in the study, who will then be randomly assigned to either the dance group or the waitlist control group. If you are in the dance group, you will be asked to attend two dance classes per week for 12 weeks from June to August 2022.
- If you are in the waitlist group, you will be asked to maintain your regular activity levels and daily routine for the whole 12 weeks. The waitlist control group is essential to the research process as it allows us to make comparisons. The data collected from the waitlist control group is necessary to determine how beneficial and feasible our study is. If you are in the waitlist group, though, don’t fret! In September, we will be opening up the classes for another 12 weeks to everyone who participated in the study, including the women on the waitlist.
8. What happens if I miss a class, or get sick?
If you are unable to attend a class, or you get sick, that is ok. We will be taking attendance at each class, but if you want to let us know in advance, we can then inform the dance instructor prior to the start of the class. If you miss more than two classes in a row, one of our team members will call you to check in to ensure everything is ok. While we know that not everyone will be able to attend every class, we do hope that women who enrol try to attend as many as possible. Also, if you end up stopping participation in the dance classes, we do hope you will help us at the end of the study by completing our questionnaire, blood draw, and focus group as these bits of information will help us know how we can
improve the program in the future.
9. What is the COVID Policy for taking class?
We will be following the policy of the BC Health authorities as well as the direction of the Dance Studio at the time when classes are launched.
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