Assessing the Effect of Cool Roofs on Health Using Smartwatches in Niue

Overview

Ambient air temperatures in the Pacific have broken record highs in 2024. Solutions are needed to build heat resilience in communities and adapt to increasing heat from climate change. Sunlight-reflecting cool roof coatings may passively reduce indoor temperatures and energy use to protect home occupants from extreme heat. Occupants living in poor housing conditions in the Pacific are susceptible to increased heat exposure. Heat exposure can instigate and worsen numerous physical, mental and social health conditions. The worst adverse health effects are experienced in communities that are least able to adapt to heat exposure. By reducing indoor temperatures, cool roof use may promote heart health, sleep and physical activity in household occupants. The long-term research goal of the investigators is to identify viable passive housing adaptation technologies with proven health benefits to reduce the burden of heat stress in communities affected by heat in Niue. To meet this goal, the investigators will conduct a randomized controlled trial to establish the effects of cool roof use on heart rate, sleep and physical activity in Niue.

Increasing heat exposure from climate change is causing and exacerbating heat-related illnesses in millions worldwide - particularly in low-resource settings. June 2024 was the 13th consecutive hottest month on record globally - shattering previous records. 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 currently is a lack of evidence on a global scale - generated through empirical studies - guiding the uptake of interventions to reduce heat stress in low-resource settings. Pacific Islands and other small island developing states 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 Niue are exposed to heat and humidity year-round. The Pacific Islands have a large burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), with nearly three-quarters of deaths due to NCDs. The combined burden of heat and NCDs places Pacific Island populations 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 randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of cool roofs on heart rate, sleep and physical activity using smartwatches in Niue. The trial will quantify whether cool roofs are an effective passive home cooling intervention with beneficial health effects for vulnerable populations in Niue. Findings will inform regional and global policy responses on scaling cool roof implementation to protect people from increasing heat exposure driven by climate change.