GCAT | Health and Environment

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Living in a healthy environment leads to greater well-being and longevity.

Our environment together with our genes determines how we target disease, affecting when and how it can develop.

In collaboration with BST and ISGlobal Barcelona we are performing the study HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT to see the effect of the environment and personal habitson the health. To do this, we will measure environmental factors that participants are subjected to in their daily lives, such as alterations in air quality, nighttime light exposure, or the proximity of green spaces. For more information here on the ISGlobal Barcelona website.                                            

The GCAT project is looking for volunteers (restricted to the cities of Barcelona and Girona) who are already part of the GCAT to participate in the HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL study. Where we will define and validate the different exposure mapsto measure the effect of pollution on health and determine scientific actions to improve it, offering personalized solutions to specific genetic profiles.

• Why make an environmental exposure map?

Diseases are the combined reflection of the action of our genes and of ordinary life habits, diet, exercise, tobacco, etc. But they are also causedby the exposure to some environmental conditions in which we move daily and thethe degree of exposure to which we are exposed, this is what we call the environmental exposure map.

• If, as a participant already collaborated in the GCAT study, why do you need we collaborate to define the environmental exposure map?

Environmental exposure questions address different areas than the ones previously studied in the GCAT questionnaires. Also, the environmental information currently available is very extensive and refined, obtained with advanced Geographic Information Systems. This information allows us to draw the environmental exposure map of the GCAT but we need to validate it and verify it with personal measurements in a small group of volunteers.

• What does my participation consist of?

There are two ways to participate:

• The first and easiest way is to participate is to answer a new online questionnaire focused on the exhibition and donate a new blood sample.
• The second way to participate is to be part of the validation group. In this casein addition to fill the online questionnaire and giving the blood sample, eachvolunteer will be provided with a mobile phone with a GPS app, a meter pollution monitor and an accelerometer (a bracelet that measures the physical activity and the light), which will collect environmental data in the ordinary journeys, during the period of one week. Insideof the houses we will also put an atmospheric pollution meterand we will make some noise measurements.

• Where do I go to participate as a validator of this study?

If you are a GCAT volunteer and want to participate, please leave us your contact information and we will call you to arrange an appointment. Once the appointment has been defined, the GCAT-ISGLOBAL staff will inform you and explain how to carry out the measurements with the different devices.

Access to the contact form here                                                

To know more about the study and see the results ans statistics about the development of the project, click here.