Air conditioning and energy support for older adults in Boston
Beat the Heat: Impacts of Heat on Health in Boston and Strategies to Address Them
This project will test whether giving window air conditioners and a later electricity subsidy to older adults without home cooling improves heat-related health, comfort, and healthcare use.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 100 (estimated) |
| Ages | 55 Years to 95 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Boston, Massachusetts) |
| Trial ID | NCT06982339 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This randomized stepped-wedge trial enrolls 100 adults aged 55–95 living in high-risk Boston neighborhoods who lack home air conditioning and have chronic health conditions or a recent hospitalization. Participants are randomized 1:1 to receive window AC units and cooling support in Year 1 or Year 2, and all participants receive baseline heat-health education and cooling kits. Data collection includes surveys, real-time indoor environmental monitoring, and AC usage tracking across two warm seasons to measure heat stress, heat strain, mental health, adaptive behaviors, and healthcare utilization. In the second summer, the year-two group also receives an electricity subsidy, enabling comparison of the effect of subsidizing operating costs on AC use and health outcomes.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal participants are English- or Spanish-speaking adults aged 55–95 who live in Roxbury, Dorchester, East Boston, or Mattapan, lack home air conditioning, and have at least one chronic medical condition or a recent hospitalization.
Not a fit: People who already have effective home cooling, who live outside the listed Boston neighborhoods, or whose homes cannot accommodate the provided window AC are unlikely to benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the intervention could lower heat-related symptoms and hospital visits while improving comfort and mental well-being for vulnerable older adults.
How similar studies have performed: Observational research consistently links air conditioning to reduced heat-related illness, but randomized and community-based trials testing AC distribution and electricity subsidies are rare.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * reside in Roxbury, Dorchester, East Boston or Mattapan MA * age 55-95 years old * speak English or Spanish * do not have air conditioning in the home * living with at least one of the following conditions: chronic CVD (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, history of stroke or myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, or heart failure), chronic pulmonary disease (asthma, COPD/emphysema, interstitial lung disease), chronic neurologic disease (stroke, Parkinson's disease, or other chronic neurologic conditions), chronic mental health conditions (including anxiety disorder, major depression, bipolar disorder), and/or history of hospitalization (defined as spending at least one night in the hospital) for any reason within the past three years. Exclusion Criteria: \- Lack a location in their home suitable for installation of the AC unit provided during the research study.
Where this trial is running
Boston, Massachusetts
- Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health — Boston, Massachusetts, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Gary Adamkiewicz Associate Professor of Environmental Health and Exposure Disp., PhD, MPH, MS — Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)
- Study coordinator: Caleb Dresser Assistant Professor in Environmental Health, MD MPH
- Email: beattheheatboston@gmail.com
- Phone: (617) 446-3248
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.