Research Project

Dear Parents
Please click here to see what it’s all about and give permission for your child to participate in this cool research project!
Thanks very much, Sibo.

Parental agents, please note:

You are welcome to help your children with this project. You can read them the questions and the book – but PLEASE DO NOT help them with the answers as this would mess up the whole project and make it meaningless.

Information and assent document for children 8-12 years for anonymous questionnaire study.

Dear Learner,

Would you be willing to volunteer to be part of a really important study?

It’s called “MANAGING THE COVID-19 ‘INFODEMIC’: DEVELOPMENT OF A BOOKLET AND MOBILE GAME TO BE USED AS TEACHING TOOLS TO CONVEY OHS MESSAGE”

I know that sounds very complicated but it’s really not hard.

All you have to do is fill out a questionnaire (online) to see what you know about COVID-19, and what you can do to protect yourself against this nasty virus.

In the first part of the questionnaire we need to know a few details, like

if you are a boy or girl,
your age,
your current grade
where you stay (not your address – just the town).

You’ll see that we do not ask your name.

This is because we don’t need to know your name – it’s an anonymous questionnaire. Anonymous means that your name will not show up with any answer you choose.

The second part of the questionnaire has simple questions about COVID-19 and staying healthy.

We do need to collect the email address of your parent/guardian, when you submit the questionnaire with your answers, so that we can send you a link to access this Sibo storybook that includes information on COVID-19.

We’ll give you three (3) days to read through Sibo Stays Healthy.

Then we’ll send you the questionnaire again after 3 days with a study number that you need to enter on the questionnaire.

You need to complete the second questionnaire without looking for the answers in Sibo’s book. (It’s like writing a class test – we want to see if you know more about the COVID-19 disease after reading the story.)

If you don’t want to participate in this research project—please ignore this—or just say no thanks.

If you do agree to participate in this study, you can still back out at any stage if you feel uncomfortable about one of the questions. No-one will be cross or upset with you if you don’t want to carry on.

If you do not understand a question or feel that you don’t want to answer a particular question, please tell your parent/guardian. You can also stop answering the questions at any time and not submit the form.

Your involvement in this study will help us find out if sharing stories like Sibo Stays Healthy, with pictures and messages, is a good way for children your age to learn about things—like COVID-19.

You will receive a certificate once you have completed the second questionnaire.

This questionnaire and study plan (Protocol) was submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee, University of Pretoria, Medical Campus, Tswelopele Building, Level 4-59, Telephone numbers 012 356 3084 / 012 356 3085 and written approval has been granted by that committee.

I understand that if I do not want to participate in this study, I will not be penalized in any way.

I may withdraw from this study at any time.

If I have any questions concerning this study, I should contact:
Dr Nico Claassen
Cell: 083 258 4416

Please Note: The implication of submitting the questionnaire is that informed consent has been given by you. Thus any information derived from your form (which will be totally anonymous) may be used for example in a publication, by the researchers.

Click Here

If you want to participate in this important project!

We’ll send you a very cool certificate of participation after you have completed the 2nd questionnaire. You’ll be able to show it to your kids one day and say…

“Look! I took part in a project during the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic!“

Let’s START!