Assessing the Effects of Cool Roofs on Indoor Environments and Health in Tavua, Fiji

Increasing heat exposure from climate change is causing and exacerbating heat-related illnesses in millions worldwide - particularly in low-resource settings. Heat exposure can instigate and worsen health conditions, including cardiovascular, metabolic, endocrine and respiratory disease, heat-related illnesses, pregnancy complications, and mental health conditions. Adaptation is essential for protecting people from increasing heat exposure. The built environment, especially homes, is ideal for deploying interventions to reduce heat exposure and accelerate adaptation efforts. However, there is currently a lack of global, empirical evidence guiding the uptake of interventions to reduce heat stress in low-resource settings.

Cities and towns of LMIC are among the most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change and are likely to experience increases in ambient air temperature over the coming decades. People in Fiji are exposed to year-round heat and low humidity. The combined burden of heat and NCDs places Fiji's population at greater risk of adverse health effects from heat extremes.

Sunlight-reflecting cool roof coatings passively reduce indoor temperatures and lower energy use, offering protection to home occupants from extreme heat. The investigators therefore aim to conduct a cluster-randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of cool-roof use on health, environmental and economic outcomes in Fiji.

The trial will quantify whether cool roofs are an effective passive home cooling intervention with beneficial health effects for vulnerable populations in Fiji. Findings will inform regional policy responses to scale cool roof implementation and protect people from increasing heat exposure driven by climate change.

• Heat-related symptoms [Срок оценки: Eight measurements will be taken: one at baseline and seven over 12 months, covering three consecutive hottest months and four alternate months.]
• Physician diagnosed heat-related illnesses [Срок оценки: Eight measurements will be taken: one at baseline and seven over 12 months, covering three consecutive hottest months and four alternate months.]
• Food insecurity [Срок оценки: Eight measurements will be taken: one at baseline and seven over 12 months, covering three consecutive hottest months and four alternate months.]
• Diet quality [Срок оценки: Eight measurements will be taken: one at baseline and seven over 12 months, covering three consecutive hottest months and four alternate months.]
• Hospitalization [Срок оценки: Eight measurements will be taken: one at baseline and seven over 12 months, covering three consecutive hottest months and four alternate months.]
• Health-related quality of life [Срок оценки: Eight measurements will be taken: one at baseline and seven over 12 months, covering three consecutive hottest months and four alternate months.]
• Indoor thermal comfort [Срок оценки: Eight measurements will be taken: one at baseline and seven over 12 months, covering three consecutive hottest months and four alternate months.]
• Coping ability [Срок оценки: Eight measurements will be taken: one at baseline and seven over 12 months, covering three consecutive hottest months and four alternate months.]
• Life satisfaction [Срок оценки: Eight measurements will be taken: one at baseline and seven over 12 months, covering three consecutive hottest months and four alternate months.]
• Healthcare provider utilization [Срок оценки: Eight measurements will be taken: one at baseline and seven over 12 months, covering three consecutive hottest months and four alternate months.]
• Systolic Blood Pressure [Срок оценки: Eight measurements will be taken: one at baseline and seven over 12 months, covering the three consecutive hottest months and four alternate months.]
• Diastolic Blood Pressure [Срок оценки: Eight measurements will be taken: one at baseline and seven over 12 months, covering the three consecutive hottest months and four alternate months.]