Warm Homes for Elder New Zealanders
WHEZ
1 other identifier
interventional
522
1 country
3
Brief Summary
Aim The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether fuel subsidies reduce exacerbations of COPD among people aged over 55, and therefore whether providing such subsidies is a cost-beneficial policy initiative. The Warm Homes for Elder New Zealanders Study enrolled community-dwelling people aged over 55 with moderate or worse COPD. Prior to the study commencing the houses were insulated (if feasible, \& the house-owner agreed). Data were collected on the health and energy use of the participants. The households randomly assigned to the "early" intervention group had a subsidy to their power account their first winter in the study. The subsidy was the intervention and was designed to enable the participants, if they chose to do so, to keep their house warmer during the winter.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for not_applicable chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease
Started Apr 2009
Longer than P75 for not_applicable chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease
3 active sites
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
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Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
Study Start
First participant enrolled
April 1, 2009
CompletedFirst Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
August 2, 2011
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
June 25, 2012
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
February 1, 2013
CompletedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
February 1, 2013
CompletedJune 17, 2015
June 1, 2015
3.8 years
August 2, 2011
June 15, 2015
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
Moderate or severe exacerbations of COPD during winter for which hospitalisation, systemic corticosteroids and/or antibiotics are required to treat the exacerbation
Four months
Secondary Outcomes (11)
Severe exacerbations of COPD during winter for which hospitalisation is required to treat the exacerbation
Four months
Moderate exacerbations of COPD during winter; which will be defined as requiring treatment with systemic corticosteroids and/or antibiotics
Four months
All-cause hospitalisation during winter
Four months
Temperature in the living and bedrooms during winter
Four months
Electricity usage during winter
Four months
- +6 more secondary outcomes
Study Arms (2)
Voucher
EXPERIMENTALReceive the intervention ("Energy Voucher") the first winter enrolled in the study. The intervention is a electricity voucher and a short pamphlet describing how to work out how much heat the voucher can buy.
Control
OTHERReceive the intervention the second winter enrolled in the study (thus "No intervention : control arm"). The intervention is a electricity voucher and a short pamphlet describing how to work out how much heat the voucher can buy.
Interventions
Receive the intervention the first winter enrolled in the study. The intervention is a electricity voucher and a short pamphlet describing how to work out how much heat the voucher can buy.
Do not receive the money or pamphlet in the initial study year
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- Post Bronchodilator FEV1/FVC ratio \< Lower Limit of Normal (NHanesIII)
- Post Bronchodilator FEV1 \< 80% of the predicted FEV1 (NHanesIII)
- OR - In the last three years either went to hospital for their COPD or took antibiotics/steriods for their COPD
You may not qualify if:
- Not planning to stay in the same dwelling until the end of the study
- Does not want to take part in research
- Unable to communicate effectively
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
- University of Otagolead
- Health Research Council, New Zealandcollaborator
Study Sites (3)
Wellington / Hutt/ Porirua
Wellington, Wellington Region, New Zealand
Christchurch
Christchurch, New Zealand
Wanganui / Manawatu
Whanganui, New Zealand
Related Publications (2)
Viggers HE, Ingham TR, Chapman RB, Crane J, Currie AB, Davies C, Keall M, Howden-Chapman PL. Impact of a Heating Voucher on Health Outcomes in COPD Patients: A Randomised Controlled Trial. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2025 Apr 16;20:1097-1109. doi: 10.2147/COPD.S483194. eCollection 2025.
PMID: 40260082DERIVEDViggers H, Howden-Chapman P, Ingham T, Chapman R, Pene G, Davies C, Currie A, Pierse N, Wilson H, Zhang J, Baker M, Crane J. Warm homes for older people: aims and methods of a randomised community-based trial for people with COPD. BMC Public Health. 2013 Feb 26;13:176. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-176.
PMID: 23442368DERIVED
Related Links
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Officials
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Philippa L Howden-Chapman, PhD
University of Otago
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- SINGLE
- Who Masked
- INVESTIGATOR
- Purpose
- SUPPORTIVE CARE
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
- PI Title
- Professor
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
August 2, 2011
First Posted
June 25, 2012
Study Start
April 1, 2009
Primary Completion
February 1, 2013
Study Completion
February 1, 2013
Last Updated
June 17, 2015
Record last verified: 2015-06