Assessing the Effect of Cool Roofs on Health Using Smartwatches in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
REFLECT
A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (cRCT) Evaluating the Effects of Cool Roofs on Health Outcomes Using Smartwatches in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
2 other identifiers
interventional
200
1 country
1
Brief Summary
Ambient air temperatures in Africa, have broken record highs in 2024. Solutions are needed to build heat resilience in communities and adapt to increasing heat from climate change. 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- for example in informal settlements, slums, and low-socioeconomic households - 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 application may improve heart health, sleep and physical activity in household occupants. The long-term research goal is to identify viable passive housing adaptation technologies with proven health benefits to reduce the burden of heat stress in communities affected by heat. To meet this goal, the investigators will use smartwatches to measure the effects cool roof application on heart health, sleep and physical activity in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for not_applicable
Started Mar 2025
1 active site
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
First Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
February 18, 2025
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
February 24, 2025
CompletedStudy Start
First participant enrolled
March 20, 2025
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
March 15, 2026
CompletedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
March 20, 2026
CompletedFebruary 24, 2025
February 1, 2025
12 months
February 18, 2025
February 18, 2025
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
Heart rate
Heart rate in beats per minute measured at 15-second intervals using Garmin Vivosmart 5 devices. Measurements will be taken continuously for 12 months. Participants will be asked to wear their smartwatch for at least two weeks every month.
The outcome will be measured at 15-second intervals continuously throughout each 12-month period, with participants wearing the device for at least two weeks per month to capture consistent data points.
Secondary Outcomes (9)
All-day steps
Measurements will be taken continuously for 12 months. Participants will be asked to wear their smartwatch for at least two weeks every month.
Distance walked
Measurements will be taken continuously for 12 months. Participants will be asked to wear their smartwatch for at least two weeks every month.
Active minutes
Measurements will be taken continuously for 12 months. Participants will be asked to wear their smartwatch for at least two weeks every month.
Moderate-intensity activity minutes
Measurements will be taken continuously for 12 months. Participants will be asked to wear their smartwatch for at least two weeks every month.
Vigorous-intensity activity duration
Measurements will be taken continuously for 12 months. Participants will be asked to wear their smartwatch for at least two weeks every month.
- +4 more secondary outcomes
Study Arms (2)
Intervention
EXPERIMENTALHouseholds will receive sunlight reflecting 'cool roof' coating on their roofs.
Control
NO INTERVENTIONNo cool roof application. Households will keep their original roofing for the duration of the trial.
Interventions
Cool roofs are a sunlight reflecting roof coating that can reduce indoor temperature. Cool roofs have high solar reflectance (reflecting the ultraviolet and visible wavelengths of sunlight, reducing heat transfer to the surface of a roof) and high thermal emittance (radiating absorbed solar energy
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- Permanent household resident
You may not qualify if:
- Roof damage, inaccessible or instability of roof adversely affecting cool roof coating application.
- Participant unable to provide written/verbal informed consent. Participants will be excluded if they are not willing or able to wear a smartwatch.
- One participant per household.
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
- Institut Supérieur des Sciences de la Populationlead
- University of Auckland, New Zealandcollaborator
- Heidelberg Universitycollaborator
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicinecollaborator
- Rutgers Universitycollaborator
- Boston Universitycollaborator
- Secretaría de Educación Pública, Méxicocollaborator
- University of Ouagadougou, Burkina Fasocollaborator
- Indian Institute of Public Health, Indiacollaborator
- The Tindall Foundationcollaborator
- Habitat for Humanitycollaborator
- Pacific Communitycollaborator
- Labfrontcollaborator
- Cognifitcollaborator
- Resenecollaborator
- SOPREMAcollaborator
- EPScollaborator
- Sikacollaborator
Study Sites (1)
Ouagadougou Health and Demographic Surveillance System
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Officials
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Aditi Bunker, Doctor of Phylosophy (Ph.D)
Heidelberg University
Central Study Contacts
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- DOUBLE
- Who Masked
- INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
- Masking Details
- Trial participants will be aware of the intervention to which they have been allocated, and the research fieldworkers will be aware of the intervention allocation. The trial steering committee members and trial statistician will remain blinded until the end of trial period and data collection.
- Purpose
- PREVENTION
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- SPONSOR
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
February 18, 2025
First Posted
February 24, 2025
Study Start
March 20, 2025
Primary Completion
March 15, 2026
Study Completion
March 20, 2026
Last Updated
February 24, 2025
Record last verified: 2025-02
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will share
- Shared Documents
- STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF, CSR
- Time Frame
- At the time of publication.
Data that can be shared unconditionally underpinning the published research articles will be made available to other researchers at the time of publication, and data will be linked via the article DOI. Data that cannot be unconditionally shared upon publication owing to confidentiality or data protection requirements will be identified as such and a contact email will be provided in relevant publications for data access enquiries by other researchers. Individual names of study participants and identifying factors will be removed prior to data sharing. It is expected that demographic data of people at the study sites (family size and composition, basic socioeconomic indicators) may contain personally identifiable information and location data. All such data will be removed prior to storage on online data repositories and therefore will be available to be publicly shared at the time of publication of manuscripts.