Heat Strain Prevention in Elderly Agricultural Workers

NCT06192069 | Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: sustenableheat
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 120
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The study explores a multi-component heat strain prevention program for older agricultural workers in response to climate change. It assesses hydration, rest breaks, reflective clothing, and shade provision. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, it targets 120 elderly workers, evaluating core temperature, heart rate, and heat strain symptoms. The goal is to establish the program's effectiveness in safeguarding worker health and safety amidst increasing temperatures, offering evidence-based recommendations for this vulnerable group and potentially other occupations affected by climate change.

Conditions

Heat Stress Disorders; Heat Stroke; Heat Exhaustion; Heat Cramps

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in heat strain score from baseline to post-intervention

  The heat strain score is calculated from participant questionnaires assessing environmental conditions, workload, access to shade, and individual heat tolerance symptoms. Scores range from 0-30, with higher scores indicating greater levels of heat strain. Heat strain levels are categorized as low/no strain (score \<13.5), potential risk (13.6-18), or high risk (\>18). The primary outcome measure will evaluate the change in heat strain score from baseline (before starting the Sustainable Prevention Program) to post-intervention (after completing the 4-week program).

  Baseline heat strain scores will be calculated from questionnaires completed 1 week prior to launching the program Post-intervention heat strain scores will be calculated from questionnaires completed within 1 week after finishing the 4-week program

Study Arms (2)

Sustainable Prevention Program

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will receive the 4-week Sustainable Prevention Program consisting of lectures, demonstrations, group discussions, and educational materials focused on: Hydration strategies (proper amounts and types of fluids, reminders for intake) Rest breaks (frequency, duration, scheduling) Lightweight reflective clothing Device: Core Temperature Sensor Participants might be equipped with a core temperature sensor to monitor their internal body temperatures. This device will provide continuous, real-time data crucial for understanding the physiological impacts of the prevention strategies and ensuring participant safety. Device: Heart Rate Monitor A heart rate monitor will be used to track the cardiovascular responses of the participants to heat and physical activity. This data is essential to assess the strain on participants' bodies and the effectiveness of the prevention strategies in mitigating stress. Portable shade covers

Other: Sustainable Heat Strain Prevention Program for Agricultural Elderly Workers (SHiP-AEW)

Control

NO INTERVENTION

Participants will receive no intervention and follow their usual workplace heat strain prevention measures such as basic hydration and voluntary rest breaks

Interventions

Sustainable Heat Strain Prevention Program for Agricultural Elderly Workers (SHiP-AEW) OTHER

The SHiP-AEW is a 4-week multifaceted intervention program focused on evidence-based heat strain prevention strategies for agricultural workers over 60 years old. Delivered through weekly 1-hour sessions, the program incorporates the following primary components:

Sustainable Prevention Program

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 60 Years - 90 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age 60 years or older
• Actively working in agricultural occupations (farming, field labor, etc.)
• Available to participate during the 4-week intervention timeline
• Fluent in spoken and written Arabic
• Agree to wear physiological monitoring devices during work

You may not qualify if:

• Unable to provide informed consent
• Cognitive impairments affecting ability to understand and implement program guidelines
• Dependence on supportive equipment like canes or wheelchairs
• Chronic medical conditions expected to worsen with heat exposure (e.g. uncontrolled cardiovascular disease, kidney failure)
• Required regular medications that impair thermoregulation
• Allergies or sensitivities to monitoring devices and their attachments that cannot be mitigated

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Cairo University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Cairo university

Giza, Egypt

RECRUITING

Related Publications (9)

• Moyce S, Mitchell D, Armitage T, Tancredi D, Joseph J, Schenker M. Heat strain, volume depletion and kidney function in California agricultural workers. Occup Environ Med. 2017 Jun;74(6):402-409. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2016-103848. Epub 2017 Jan 16.

  PMID: 28093502 BACKGROUND

• Grimbuhler S, Viel JF. Heat Stress and Cardiac Strain in French Vineyard Workers. Ann Work Expo Health. 2021 May 3;65(4):390-396. doi: 10.1093/annweh/wxaa115.

  PMID: 33367558 BACKGROUND

• Jackson LL, Rosenberg HR. Preventing heat-related illness among agricultural workers. J Agromedicine. 2010 Jul;15(3):200-15. doi: 10.1080/1059924X.2010.487021.

  PMID: 20665306 BACKGROUND

• Wagoner RS, Lopez-Galvez NI, de Zapien JG, Griffin SC, Canales RA, Beamer PI. An Occupational Heat Stress and Hydration Assessment of Agricultural Workers in North Mexico. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Mar 22;17(6):2102. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17062102.

  PMID: 32235716 BACKGROUND

• Chavez Santos E, Spector JT, Egbert J, Krenz J, Sampson PD, Palmandez P, Torres E, Blancas M, Carmona J, Jung J, Flunker JC. The effect of the participatory heat education and awareness tools (HEAT) intervention on agricultural worker physiological heat strain: results from a parallel, comparison, group randomized study. BMC Public Health. 2022 Sep 15;22(1):1746. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-14144-2.

  PMID: 36104813 BACKGROUND

• Egbert J, Krenz J, Sampson PD, Jung J, Calkins M, Zhang K, Palmandez P, Faestel P, Spector JT. Accuracy of an estimated core temperature algorithm for agricultural workers. Arch Environ Occup Health. 2022;77(10):809-818. doi: 10.1080/19338244.2022.2033672. Epub 2022 Feb 3.

  PMID: 35114899 BACKGROUND

• Bonell A, Sonko B, Badjie J, Samateh T, Saidy T, Sosseh F, Sallah Y, Bajo K, Murray KA, Hirst J, Vicedo-Cabrera A, Prentice AM, Maxwell NS, Haines A. Environmental heat stress on maternal physiology and fetal blood flow in pregnant subsistence farmers in The Gambia, west Africa: an observational cohort study. Lancet Planet Health. 2022 Dec;6(12):e968-e976. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00242-X.

  PMID: 36495891 BACKGROUND

• El Khayat M, Halwani DA, Hneiny L, Alameddine I, Haidar MA, Habib RR. Impacts of Climate Change and Heat Stress on Farmworkers' Health: A Scoping Review. Front Public Health. 2022 Feb 8;10:782811. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.782811. eCollection 2022.

  PMID: 35211437 BACKGROUND

• Shaban M, Amer FGM, Shaban MM. The impact of nursing sustainable prevention program on heat strain among agricultural elderly workers in the context of climate change. Geriatr Nurs. 2024 Jul-Aug;58:215-224. doi: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2024.05.021. Epub 2024 Jun 4.

  PMID: 38838403 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Heat Stress Disorders; Heat Stroke; Heat Exhaustion

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Wounds and Injuries

Central Study Contacts

Mostafa shaban

CONTACT

0565644617; MOSTAFA.SHABAN2020@CU.EDU.EG

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Lecturer

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 18, 2023
• First Posted: January 5, 2024
• Study Start: January 10, 2024
• Primary Completion: April 18, 2024
• Study Completion: May 20, 2024
• Last Updated: April 23, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

EG (1)