Health Trials

Assessing the Effects of Cool Roofs on Indoor Environments and Health in Tavua, Fiji

ConditionsResting Heart RateBlood Glucose ControlDepressionHeat-related SymptomsPhysician Diagnosed Heat-related IllnessesFood InsecurityDiet QualityHealth-Related Quality-of-LifeIndoor Thermal ComfortCoping AbilityLife SatisfactionHealthcare Provider UtilizationHospitalizationSystolic Blood PressureDiastolic Blood PressureInner Ear Canal TemperatureDehydrationSleep QualityCognitionProductivityAggressionIndoor Air TemperatureIndoor Relative HumidityIndoor Heat IndexHousehold Energy Expenditure
Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18+
SponsorAditi Bunker

About this trial

Ambient air temperatures in Fiji are increasing due to climate change. Solutions are needed to build heat resilience in communities and adapt. Sunlight-reflecting cool roof coatings may passively reduce indoor temperatures and energy use to protect home occupants from extreme heat. Occupants living in poor housing conditions in Fiji are susceptible to increased heat exposure.

Heat exposure can instigate and worsen numerous physical, mental and social health conditions. The worst adverse health effects are experienced in communities that are least able to adapt to heat exposure. By reducing indoor temperatures, cool roof use can promote physical, mental and social wellbeing in household occupants.

The long-term research goal of the investigators is to identify viable passive housing adaptation technologies with proven health benefits to reduce the burden of heat stress in communities affected by heat in Fiji. To meet this goal, the investigators will conduct a cluster-randomized controlled trial to establish the effects of cool roof use on health, indoor environment and economic outcomes in Tavua, Fiji.

Eligibility criteria

This trial accepts healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

Permanent household resident.

Disqualifiers

Roof damage, inaccessible or instability of roof adversely affecting cool roof coating application.

Participant unable to provide written/verbal informed consent.

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Cool roof

    Other intervention

    Cool roofs are a heat-reflecting material that can be applied to existing household roofing in the form of a liquid-applied membrane. Cool roofs work by increasing solar reflectance (the ability to reflect the visible wavelengths of sunlight, reducing heat transfer to the surface) and thermal emittance (the ability to radiate absorbed solar energy) thereby reducing the amount of heat transferred into the home.

Treatment groups

800 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groups
Group A: Cool roofExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: No cool roofNo intervention 0 interventions

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

Resting heart rate

Resting heart rate in beats per minute measured as the average of three readings in the left arm over one hour using portable automated sphygmomanometers.

Time frame
Eight measurements will be taken: one at baseline and seven over 12 months, covering three consecutive hottest months and four alternate months.
2

Blood glucose control

Three month average of blood glucose in mmol/mol measured as glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) using capillary blood and the HemoCue® HbA1c 501 System.

Time frame
Two measurements will be taken: one at baseline and one in the last month of three consecutive hottest months.
3

Depression

Self-reported presence and frequency of symptoms of depression assessed using aggregate score of the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9). Minimum score of 0 and a maximum score of 27 with a higher score meaning a worse outcome.

Time frame
Eight measurements will be taken: one at baseline and seven over 12 months, covering three consecutive hottest months and four alternate months.

Secondary outcomes

1

Heat-related symptoms

Self-reported heat-related symptoms in the past month, assessed using a recall questionnaire.

Time frame
Eight measurements will be taken: one at baseline and seven over 12 months, covering three consecutive hottest months and four alternate months.
2

Physician diagnosed heat-related illnesses

Self-reported new diagnosis from a medical practitioner of a heat-related illness in the last month assessed using a recall questionnaire.

Time frame
Eight measurements will be taken: one at baseline and seven over 12 months, covering three consecutive hottest months and four alternate months.
3

Food insecurity

Self-reported experience based measure of individual food security assessed using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES).

Time frame
Eight measurements will be taken: one at baseline and seven over 12 months, covering three consecutive hottest months and four alternate months.
4

Diet quality

Self-reported individual food group consumption in the previous 24 hours assessed using the Diet Quality Questionnaire (DQQ).

Time frame
Eight measurements will be taken: one at baseline and seven over 12 months, covering three consecutive hottest months and four alternate months.

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

Aditi Bunker

Lead sponsor

University of Auckland, New Zealand

Sponsor institution

Heidelberg University

Collaborator

Rutgers University

Collaborator

Boston University

Collaborator

Resene

Collaborator

Fiji National University

Collaborator

Source ClinicalTrials.gov

This trial is not recruiting at the moment. You can still explore other options: