Structural Heat Adaptation and Education in Urban Setting

Summary

This study aims to understand whether simple, low-cost interventions, such as improved home cooling, practical advice, and minor home modifications, can help protect people's health and improve quality of life during periods of extreme heat in densely populated, low-income neighborhoods of Karachi, Pakistan.

Key Questions the Study Seeks to Answer:

1. Can these interventions reduce heat-related health problems such as dizziness, headaches, and heatstroke and improve the quality of life?
2. Can they lower indoor temperatures and improve sleep quality, comfort, and daily functioning?

To answer these questions, researchers will compare communities where families receive heat-related support and information with similar communities that do not, to assess any differences in health and well-being.

What Participants Can Expect:

* Answer questions about their health, living conditions, and how they cope with heat
* Have small temperature sensors placed inside their homes
* Some participants may wear a lightweight wristband that tracks sleep and heart rate
* In selected households, cooling improvements will be made, such as adding shade, applying reflective roof paint, or enhancing airflow

Purpose:

This study seeks to identify affordable and effective strategies to help families stay safe during extreme heat, and to use these insights to support other vulnerable communities facing similar challenges.

Conditions

• Heat Illness
• Quality of Life

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Community education and awareness, and personal lifestyle and cooling behavior modification

This component of the ReHAB will be achieved through community mobilization, which will encompass awareness and motivational activities throughout the intervention duration. Community groups (CGs) will be formed in each of the 11 clusters. Both male and female CGs will be formed separately and will be responsible for community mobilization activities, surveillance for primary outcome. Each CG will comprise of 6-8 members and will be a diverse group of people with varying qualifications, including local government members, local elders/elites, religious leaders, and prominent male and female members of the community. they could also name their respective CGs to enhance association, identity, and affiliation. These CGs will facilitate culturally tailored workshops, dissemination of early warnings regarding heat waves, awareness sessions, and door-to-door outreach focused on heat-health fundamentals. CGs will also maintain simple logbooks to track any incidence of heat related illness.

OTHER

Participatory local structural and environmental heat mitigation solutions

Participatory local structural and environmental heat mitigation solutions will be delivered through community participatory approach where the community and project will share the cost of intervention to improve ownership. This contribution can be monetary or non-monetary, for example, provision of labor or supplies. The modifications include: 1. Paints (Solar Reflective Paints, Lime Paints) 2. Shading (Façade, Roof) 3. Energy Sufficiency (Solar Panels with complete accessories) 4. Community Shading (Plantation, Street Shading, Field Shading space) 5. Ventilation (Windows, Wind catchers)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

  collaborator OTHER

• University College, London

  collaborator OTHER

• Aga Khan University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• jai K Das · Institute for global health and development, Aga Khan University.

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-01-01

Primary Completion

2027-12-31

Completion

2027-12-31

Countries

• Pakistan

Study Locations