This information sheet provides details of a research project on the health impact of green areas in urban environments in which we propose you participate. Please take time to read this information carefully and ask any questions you consider necessary. Before deciding whether to participate, you may consult with anyone you deem appropriate.

Why is this study important?

Your input is invaluable because residents like you best understand your city and can provide the richest information about where green space interventions are most needed. Your participation will help us understand how different factors within the city influence the necessity of increasing greenery. Each city is different, therefore, their needs are also different. That's why we need to better understand the daily life of citizens, the main challenges and preferences. This comprehensive approach will enable us to recommend greening strategies that address the diverse needs of all city residents, rather than focusing on a single demographic group.

Who are we looking for?

We seek participants who live in Malta representing different neighborhoods, ages, genders, and backgrounds. This diversity ensures our findings reflect the full spectrum of urban residents' perspectives.

The study is conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) in collaboration with the Go Green Next Project. This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the GGN project, as well as ISGlobal Campus Mar, in accordance with current legislation (Biomedical Research Law 14/2007).

What does this study involve?

Study Purpose

• Identify priority areas for future urban greening interventions in Malta
• Quantify potential health benefits from new green space

Your Participation

What you'll do: Complete a short, interactive survey designed like a game to understand your priorities for green space development.
Time commitment: Approximately 7 minutes.
Requirements: You must be a resident of Malta.

Data Protection and Privacy

What data do we collect?

• Your responses about public space and urbanism perception
• Basic demographic information (age range, neighborhood area, gender)
• No personal health data
• No identifying information — responses are anonymous

Data Controller: Fundació Privada Instituto de Salud Global Barcelona (ISGlobal). Data Protection Officer: lopd@isglobal.org

Legal basis: We process your data on the basis of your freely given, informed consent in accordance with Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR (Regulation EU 2016/679).

Data recipients: Only ISGlobal researchers working on this study will have access to the raw response data. Research findings will be published as aggregated reports and shared with collaborating institutions (GoGreenNext project), but no individual response data will be shared with them.

International transfers: Data is stored on servers within the European Economic Area (EEA). No transfers to third countries are anticipated.

Retention period: Anonymous responses will be retained for 5 years after the end of the study, then securely deleted.

Your Rights under GDPR (Reg. EU 2016/679)

You have the following rights. To exercise any right, contact our Data Protection Officer at lopd@isglobal.org.

• Access (Art. 15): Request a copy of the data we hold about you.
• Rectification (Art. 16): Request correction of inaccurate data. Note: not exercisable after anonymous submission.
• Erasure (Art. 17): Request deletion of your data. Note: not exercisable after anonymous submission.
• Restriction (Art. 18): Request that we limit how we use your data.
• Portability (Art. 20): Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Object (Art. 21): Object to processing at any time before submission.
• Withdraw consent (Art. 7(3)): Withdraw at any time before submission without penalty, by closing this page.

Right to Lodge a Complaint

If you believe your data protection rights have been violated, you may lodge a complaint with the Spanish Data Protection Authority (AEPD), the lead supervisory authority for ISGlobal: www.aepd.es. Malta residents may also contact the Office of the Information and Data Protection Commissioner (IDPC): idpc.org.mt, idpc.info@idpc.org.mt, which will coordinate with the AEPD.

Ethics Approval

This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the GoGreenNext (GGN) Project and ISGlobal Campus Mar. It complies with Biomedical Research Law 14/2007.

Contact Information

For questions about the study: mark.nieuwenhuijsen@isglobal.org, mariana.maurino@isglobal.org
For questions about data rights: lopd@isglobal.org