Heat Adaptation Through Community-based Approaches and Research at SEACO: Structural and Behavioural Interventions (Heat Care)

NCT06744309 | Not Yet Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: MUHREC43232
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 1,000
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if structural and behavioral interventions can mitigate the health effects of extreme heat in rural Malaysian communities. The study focuses on implementing cool roofs (a passive cooling system) and heat literacy education to improve heat adaptation behaviors. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does the implementation of cool roofs reduce indoor temperatures and related heat stress in rural households?
• Does heat literacy education improve community awareness and behaviors related to coping with extreme heat? Researchers will compare four groups: one receiving both cool roofs and heat literacy interventions, one receiving only the cool roof intervention, one receiving only heat literacy education, and a control group receiving neither intervention. Participants will be asked to:
• Have their roofs painted with UV-resistant white paint (for cool roof intervention groups).
• Participate in educational sessions and training on heat-related health risks and coping strategies (for heat literacy intervention groups).
• Complete baseline and follow-up surveys at 3, 6, and 12 months.
• Wear a Garmin Vivosmart 5 sensor for two weeks during each data collection period to monitor heart rate, physical activity, and sleep patterns.

Conditions

Climate Change; Heat; Weather; Heat Effect; Heat; Excess

Keywords

heat health; heat literacy; thermotolerance; Rising average temperature

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Indoor Air Temperature

  Assessed using an indoor data logger (SwitchBot) to measure air temperature within the household.

  12 months

• Step count (Physical Activity)

  Tracked using Garmin Vivosmart 5 sensors, recording steps and distance.

  12 months

• Sleep Duration

  This will be obtained using the Uppsala Sleep Inventory questionnaire which assess sleep duration.

  12 months

• Glycaemic Control

  HbA1c level which will be measured by the Hemocue® HbA1c 501 System.

  12 months

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Depressive Symptoms

  12 months

• Psychological Distress

  12 months

• Heat-related Illnesses

  12 months

• Health-related Quality of Life

  12 months

• Indoor Thermal Comfort

  12 months

Other Outcomes (4)

• Heat Index

  12 months

• Blood Glucose Level

  12 months

• Sleep Inventory

  12 months

Study Arms (4)

Group A (Cool Roof and Heat Literacy Interventions)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Cool roof intervention: Roofs will be painted with UV-resistant paint to reduce thermal absorption. Heat literacy intervention: Participants will receive education and training on heat-related health risks and coping strategies.

Behavioral: Heat Literacy Intervention; Other: Structural (Cool Roof) Intervention

Group B (Cool Roof Intervention Only)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Cool Roof intervention: Roofs will be painted with UV-resistant white paint to reduce thermal absorption

Other: Structural (Cool Roof) Intervention

Group C (Heat Literacy Intervention Only)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

-Heat literacy intervention: Participants will receive education and training on heat-related health risks and coping strategies.

Behavioral: Heat Literacy Intervention

Group D (Control Group)

NO INTERVENTION

No intervention will be provided, serving as a control group for comparison.

Interventions

Heat Literacy Intervention BEHAVIORAL

The behavioral intervention aims to improve heat literacy among participants through an 8-12 week education and training program. It includes three main modules: enhancing community awareness of hot weather, recognizing and responding to heat-related illnesses, and teaching personal cooling strategies. Participants will use SwitchBot meters to monitor indoor temperature and humidity, access real-time weather information, and learn about heat wave warnings. They will receive educational materials, including infographics, videos, and one-to-one training from field staff. The content of intervention and delivery methods will be refined through co-design workshops with stakeholders and community members to ensure they are practical and culturally appropriate. The goal is to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to protect themselves from extreme heat, resulting in better heat adaptation behaviors and improved health outcomes.

Group A (Cool Roof and Heat Literacy Interventions); Group C (Heat Literacy Intervention Only)

Structural (Cool Roof) Intervention OTHER

The structural intervention in this study involves implementing cool roofs to reduce indoor temperature and mitigate the effects of extreme heat in rural Malaysian communities. Selected households will have their roofs painted with UV-resistant paint, which reflects direct sunlight and reduces thermal absorption. This intervention aims to decrease the amount of solar energy absorbed by the roof, thereby lowering indoor temperature and reducing the physiological heat strain on residents. By maintaining cooler indoor environment, the cool roof intervention seeks to alleviate the health risks associated with prolonged exposure to high temperature.

Group A (Cool Roof and Heat Literacy Interventions); Group B (Cool Roof Intervention Only)

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• Adults aged at least 18 years old
• Willing to participate in all study components
• Consent to roof painting and installation of heat and humidity measurement devices
• Consent to wear the supplied wearables (Garmin Vivosmart 5) for data collection
• No plans to relocate during the study period
• Possess a smartphone for receiving health education materials

You may not qualify if:

• Individuals belonging to one household with existing participants
• Bedridden individuals or those requiring assistance in movement
• Single-story house
• Main house measurement less than 1200 sqft
• Built with brick or brick and wooden
• Roof made of zinc, ceramic/clay, or mixed, suitable for cool roof painting
• Minimal to no requirement for roof repair
• No plans for renovation during the study period
• Double-story houses, shops, or empty houses
• Houses with the facility to sprinkle water on the roof

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Monash University Malaysia: lead
• Monash University: collaborator
• Heidelberg University: collaborator
• Ministry of Health, Malaysia: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

South East Asia Community Observatory, Monash University Malaysia

Segamat, Johor, 85000, Malaysia

Location

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Methods

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Investigative Techniques

Study Officials

• Tin Tin Su, MBBS, Dr.Med

  Monash University Malaysia

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Pei Jean Tan, PhD

CONTACT

+603 5514 6374; Tan.PeiJean@monash.edu

Nurul Syazwana Binti Dali, BSc

CONTACT

+60127674277; nurul.syazwana@monash.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Masking Details: No, the study does not involve masking (blinding). Due to the nature of the interventions-cool roof installation and heat literacy education-it is not possible to blind the participants or the field team members (including researchers). However, the random selection and assignment of participants to intervention and control groups will be conducted by a statistician who is not part of the research team, ensuring an unbiased allocation process.
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: FACTORIAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Model Details: The study uses a 2 x 2 factorial design to evaluate the effectiveness of cool roofs and heat literacy education in mitigating extreme heat impacts in rural Malaysian communities. Participants, randomly selected from the SEACO database, will be divided into four groups: both interventions, cool roof only, heat literacy only, and control. Cool roofs involve painting roofs with UV-resistant white paint to reduce heat absorption, while heat literacy includes 8-12 weeks of education on heat awareness and personal cooling strategies. Data will be collected at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months through surveys, physical measurements, and Garmin Vivosmart 5 wearable sensor and SwitchBot meter. The primary endpoints are indoor temperature, physical activity (step count), glycemic control (HbA1c) and sleep duration. The study aims to develop an evidence-based, culturally sensitive community heat adaptation program to improve heat resilience in rural Malaysia.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 11, 2024
• First Posted: December 20, 2024
• Study Start: January 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: May 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2027
• Last Updated: December 20, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

MY (1)