Low-cost home cooling, advice, and small structural fixes for heat protection
Structural Heat Adaptation and Education in Rural Setting (SHAPES Trial)
This project will test whether low-cost home cooling, simple advice, and small structural home fixes can protect health and improve daily life for people in rural Matiari, Pakistan during extreme heat.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 7128 (estimated) |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Aga Khan University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Matiari) |
| Trial ID | NCT06983483 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
Researchers will compare communities where households receive community education, behavior-change support, and participatory local structural heat-mitigation solutions with similar communities that do not receive these supports. Households will answer questions about health, living conditions, and heat-coping behaviors while small temperature sensors are placed inside homes and some participants wear lightweight wristbands to monitor exposure. The primary outcomes include heat-related symptoms (for example dizziness, headaches, heatstroke), indoor temperatures, sleep quality, comfort, and daily functioning. The intervention emphasizes low-cost, locally feasible measures and community engagement to encourage adoption and sustainability.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Households in the selected clusters in Matiari who provide informed consent are eligible to participate.
Not a fit: Households planning to move within six months or individuals with severe mental or physical conditions that preclude participation are excluded and may not receive benefit from the intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these low-cost interventions could reduce heat-related illness, lower indoor temperatures, and improve sleep and day-to-day functioning in vulnerable rural households.
How similar studies have performed: Previous community and household cooling and behavior-change interventions have shown promise in lowering indoor temperatures and some heat-related symptoms, but results have been mixed and highly dependent on local context.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * All households within the selected clusters who provide consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Households planning to move away from the study site within the next 6 months * Individuals with severe mental or physical health conditions that preclude participation
Where this trial is running
Matiari
- Aga Khan University Hospital — Matiari, Pakistan (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: jai K Das — Institute for Global Health and Development, Aga Khan University.
- Study coordinator: Jai K Das
- Email: jai.das@aku.edu
- Phone: +922134864717
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.