Take part in the Sea User Health Survey
This survey is now closed.
_____________________________________________________________________________
If you have been (or intended to go) to the beach to get in the sea over the past two weeks, and use Surfers Against Sewage’s Safer Seas and Rivers Service smartphone App, then we need your help for this research. By taking part in the survey you will help us to investigate if real-time pollution alerts reduce people’s exposure to waterborne infections from coastal water.
Find out more by reading the participant information sheet here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of the research?
The purpose of the survey is to understand the extent to which real-time water quality alerts change people’s exposure to coastal beaches, and whether this affects the risk of experiencing illness. Read the full case study here.
Who should respond to the survey?
- Your usage of the Safer Seas and Rivers Service App and your experiences with coastal waters in the UK are crucial for our study. To be eligible to participate, please ensure you meet the following criteria:
- You must have used or intended to use UK coastal waters for recreational reasons in the past 2 weeks
- You must use the Safer Seas and Rivers Service Smartphone App
- You must be 16 years old or older
- You must reside within the UK
- You must not have used natural freshwaters for recreation in the previous two weeks
What does taking part involve?
Participating means completing an online survey about your use of the Safer Seas and Rivers Service App, recent beach visits, and your health. It may take up to 15 minutes and is available until the end of October 2024.
What sort of questions are asked in the survey?
The questions in the survey ask you about your use of the Safer Seas and Rivers Service App, your intended and actual beach visits in the past week, your health, recent travel, and demographics (such as age, sex, ethnic group, education level and income). The survey is anonymous: we do not ask you for your name or contact information.
Will I receive any payment for taking part?
Participation is voluntary and unpaid.
What will happen to the results of this study?
Findings will be compiled into a report, published in a journal, and presented at conferences. Data will inform strategies for protecting beachgoers from waterborne illnesses. We will also share our findings in a blog post on our website. You can subscribe to our newsletter to receive these updates.
Data collected in this survey will be stored in a secure data repository, Zenodo, and only authorized researchers may access it by requesting permission.
Who is organising and funding this study?
The University of Exeter is conducting this research, funded by Horizon Europe and UK Research Innovation.
Who can I contact for any questions or requests?
For queries, contact the research team via email: SeaUserHealthSurvey@exeter.ac.uk (Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm)
