Study of Simple Home Cooling and Education to Reduce Heat-Related Illness and Improve Quality of Life in Rural Matiari, Pakistan

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate whether simple and affordable interventions can protect health and improve quality of life during extreme heat in rural, low-income villages of Matiari, Pakistan. It focuses on reducing heat-related health problems like dizziness, headaches, and heatstroke, while also improving indoor temperatures, sleep quality, comfort, and daily functioning. The study compares communities receiving heat-related support and information with those that do not, to identify effective strategies for vulnerable populations. Participants in the study will be divided into two groups one receiving the Resilience and Heat Adaptation Bundle ReHAB, which includes community education and awareness through local groups, as well as structural home modifications such as reflective roof paint, shading, improved ventilation, and solar panels. The control group will not receive these interventions. The study involves community mobilization, education sessions, and shared-cost improvements to homes to lower indoor heat exposure. During the study, participants will answer questions about their health and living conditions and have temperature sensors installed in their homes. Some may wear wristbands to monitor sleep and heart rate. Researchers will track heat-related illnesses, quality of life, indoor heat levels, hospital visits, mortality, and thermal comfort over 24 months. Blood samples will be collected at the end for biobanking. The study lasts approximately two years to assess the long-term effects of these heat adaptation interventions.

Structural Heat Adaptation and Education in Rural Setting