It's hard to believe that our study is turning 10 years old this year. What began as a small pilot study in 2006 with 150 participants in the SF Bay Area laid the foundation for our larger study which began recruitment in October 2010. We recruited 906 participants from 2010-2013 and then added another group of 258 participants in 2017-2018. We are so thankful for the journey that we have been on with our 1,164 participants, and grateful for all of the lessons we have learned about South Asian health.
Each of our study sites will be celebrating this milestone 10 year anniversary this year. On Saturday, February 22nd, the Chicago team had a wonderful lunch event that was attended by over 100 participants. People spoke about what being in the MASALA study meant to them and placed sticky notes on a poster board sharing how being in MASALA made them feel.
Here are a few of the poster comments:
--informed and healthy
--visible
--more awareness
--feel healthy and confident
--makes me feel safe...like I am in good hands --feel the impact in our community
Please stay tuned to hear about our SF Bay Area events planned for this spring and summer.
Thank you for your help and interest in this landmark study. We couldn't do it without you!