Study of Indoor Cooling to Reduce Heat Stress and Improve Heart Health Among Low-Income Residents in Bangladesh

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating how installing cooling infrastructure and equipment in homes affects heat stress and health outcomes among low-income residents in informal settlements in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The study focuses on whether these interventions reduce indoor heat stress, personal exposure to heat, and impact heart rate, heart rate variability, and sleep quality. The aim is to help vulnerable people who lack air conditioning and face health risks worsened by heat stress. Participants homes will be randomly assigned to receive either cooling infrastructure andor equipment designed to cool the house during hot seasons or no intervention. The study will monitor the effects of these interventions on indoor temperature and residents physiological responses. Sensors will be placed inside and outside homes, and participants will wear personal heat stress monitors. During the 4-week study period, researchers will measure heart rate, heart rate variability, sleep quality, irritability, environmental symptoms, depression, and anxiety at the start, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks. Data collection includes biological monitoring, questionnaires, and environmental measurements to assess the impact of cooling strategies. This information will help determine the feasibility and effectiveness of cooling approaches to reduce heat-related health risks.

Heat Stress Exposure Among Low-Income Residents in Bangladesh and Evaluation of Indoor Interventions