My Sample Kit

You may also receive the following:

·       A parking permit

·       Instructions on navigating the University of Reading

·       Instructions on completing your food and drink questionnaire using eNutri

·       A study appointment countdown

·       You will be asked to produce a urine and faecal sample on the day of your study appointment. 

·       You will be asked to provide the first urine of the morning, and as fresh a faecal sample as possible. 

·       We will provide an ice pack to help keep your samples fresh. 

·       Study rationale: You will be told about why we are doing the study and what the study appointment involves. 

·       Work Package 1 and Work Package 2: We will explain the difference between Work Package 1 and Work Package 2 and double check if you have a preference for either of these.

·       Sample kit: We will talk you through the sample kit and explain what each item in the kit is for, and how we recommend for you to collect your urine and faecal samples at home. 

o   If your screening visit is online and you have indicated you would like your sample kit posted to you, we will confirm your address with you. Alternatively if your screening visit is online and you indicated that you would like to collect your sample kit another time, we will arrange this with you.

o   If your screening visit is in person, we will give you your complete sample kit to take home with you.

·       eNutri: You will be told a little more about how you can complete the food and drink questionnaire using the eNutri platform ahead of your study appointment. 

·       Payment: We will explain how and when you are paid for your participation in the study, and how we reimburse you for any travel costs you incur. 

·       Eligibility clarifications: If there is any information that we need to clarify with you to double check your eligibility, you can expect us to ask you about this at this point.

·       Forms: If you are happy to participate, we will confirm your contact details and go through the general study consent form with you, as well as the MRI consent and initial screening form. We will ask you to have your emails open as we will send you each of these forms to complete via email during the screening visit.

·       Follow-up visits: If you are interested in taking part in WP2, we will suggest some dates for your follow-up visits (study appointments 2, 3, and 4). It will therefore be helpful to have your calendar handy if you are interested in WP2.

After the screening visit, we will email you a copy of your completed consent form. If you are taking part in WP2, we will also schedule your follow-up appointments and send you calendar invitations for those. 

·       We have provided an ice pack sheet to ensure that you keep your samples as fresh as possible. 

·       The ice pack sheet will only become an ice pack if you first fill it with water and put it in the freezer. It is not an instant ice pack that reacts chemically to produce a cold effect. 

To use it, please follow these instructions:

1.     Fill the ice pack sheet with water.

2.     Place it in the freezer the night before your study appointment. 

3.     Remove the ice pack from the freezer in the morning once you have produced your urine sample. 

4.     Place it in the opaque bag together with your sample to help keep it fresh. 

·       Please provide the first urine of the morning of the day of your study appointment.

·       Remember, if you wake up early in the morning to go to the bathroom and return to bed, this will still count as your first urine of the morning. 

To use the urine sample pot, please follow these instructions:

1.     The night before your study appointment, place the pot on the toilet seat to serve as a visual reminder. 

2.     Remove the outer packaging and take off the yellow lid. 

3.     On the morning of your study appointment, pee a little into the toilet bowl, as this will decrease any chances of bacterial contamination. Then continue peeing directly into the provided urine pot. 

4.     Once you are finished, seal and secure the urine pot with the yellow lid. 

5.     Place the urine sample pot into your opaque bag together with the ice pack. 

6.     Note down the time you produced your urine sample, as one of the researchers will ask you this during your study appointment. 

·       Please provide as fresh a faecal sample as possible. This means the closer you can produce your faecal sample to your study appointment time, the better. 

·       We realise that everyone’s body clock is a little different though, so do not worry too much if you produce your faecal sample much earlier than your study appointment. We have provided an ice pack for this very reason. 

To use the faecal sample pot, please follow these instructions:

1.     Remove the lid and any contents from the pot. 

2.     Place the pot into the toilet bowl and poo directly into the pot. Please refrain from putting any toilet paper into the pot. 

3.     Seal the pot with the provided lid. 

4.     Place the faecal sample into your opaque bag together with the ice pack and urine sample. 

5.     Note down the time you produced your faecal sample, as one of the researchers will ask you this during your study appointment. 

·       We realise that everybody’s bowel movements are slightly different and nature calls at different times. 

·       Therefore, if you’re not able to produce your faecal sample the day of your study appointment, you will have the option of brining the sample to the University of Reading within 3 days of your study appointment.