If you have been informed that your household has been selected to take part in the Health, Ageing & Retirement Panel Study (HARPS), we hope that you will participate when our trained fieldworkers are in touch to explain the study and conduct an interview with your household.
By taking part, you can help us learn how South Africans can have healthier and more fulfilling lives as they age.
If you would like to verify the identity of a HARPS fieldworker, please click here to visit our fieldworker verification and identification page.
The information below answers some frequently asked questions about HARPS and what participation involves for selected households.
Information for households selected for HARPS
What is HARPS?
HARPS is a research study that aims to understand people’s health and wellbeing in South Africa, as they age. The study is based at SALDRU at the University of Cape Town and run in collaboration with the University of the Witwatersrand and Harvard University.
How was my household selected?
To build an accurate picture of ageing in South Africa, areas for the study were randomly selected across the country, and yours was one of them. We are inviting selected households in your area that have at least one person aged 40 or older, to participate.
Why is my household’s participation important?
Taking part means your household’s experience becomes part of the bigger story of ageing in South Africa. It’s your chance to make sure that people like you are heard and represented in the study.
HARPS is only made possible by the generosity of our participants’ time. By taking part, the information that your household provides can help us to understand ways to improve health and healthcare services in South Africa.
Who will be interviewed in my household?
First, we will ask a member of your household some questions about your household. We will then select up to two adults in your household to take part in individual interviews: one person aged 40 or older, and their partner, if they are 18 or older and live with them.
How long will it take?
The household interview will take about 30 minutes. Each individual interview will take about 60 minutes, plus another 30 minutes for health-related measurements.
Are there benefits to taking part?
If you do an individual interview, you will receive a voucher for airtime, data or electricity.
You will also be invited to complete some health-related measurements, including physical measurements like height and blood pressure. If you agree, we will also use a few drops of blood from a finger prick to test for glucose (sugar), haemoglobin (for anaemia) and cholesterol. If you would like to receive the results, we will share the results from these measurements and tests with you during the visit. These are collected for research purposes only and are not a substitute for medical tests. If any result falls outside the normal range, we will let you know so that you can visit a healthcare provider for further testing and advice.
As a thank you for taking part, your household will also receive a gift after completing the household interview.
What types of questions will be asked?
The household survey includes questions about your home, the people who live with you and your household’s economic situation.
If you are invited to do in an individual interview, you will be asked about things like your background, economic wellbeing, relationships and health. You will also be asked to do some memory and thinking tasks.
Some questions may be personal or sensitive. You do not have to answer any questions you are uncomfortable with, and you can stop the interview at any time.
What else is involved?
If you agree, a few drops of blood from a finger prick will be placed on a special card and securely sent to a laboratory for analysis. The blood on these cards will be used to test for diabetes, HIV infection, use of HIV treatment, general infection and inflammation. The card will only have a barcode and your study number on it. It will not include your name or anything that could identify you. These samples will be kept secure and will only be used for research to help us better understand the health of South Africans as they age.
How will my information be kept safe?
We will keep the information you provide private and protect it according to the South African Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act. It will not be possible to identify you in any of the information released as part of this study.
How do I identify genuine HARPS fieldworkers?
HARPS fieldworkers work for GeoSpace International on behalf of the University of Cape Town. Our fieldworkers will:
- Be wearing a HARPS-branded bib.
- Carry a HARPS identification card showing their name and photograph.
- Carry an official letter introducing the study.
If you would like to verify if someone is a genuine HARPS fieldworker, you can also do so here on the HARPS website.
Who can I talk to if I have questions?
For questions about HARPS, please contact:
Dr Brendan Maughan-Brown, SALDRU, University of Cape Town
Telephone: 021 650 5696