Impacts of cool roof technology on sleep quality and HbA1c in rural Burkina Faso

Background:

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is experiencing more extreme weather events, including heatwaves, droughts, and floods.
Projections on future warming and empirically analyzed data indicate a warming trend and increase in the frequency and magnitude of heat waves
These changes have a significant impact on human health specially on metabolic control and sleep quality
Cool roofs will likely reduce heat exposure, however their effects on sleep quality and blood glucose control remain unknown in SSA

Research objectives:

Determine the prevalence of hyperglycemia and its cross-sectional associations with socio-demographic, behavioral and environmental risk factors,
Quantify the intervention effect of cool roofs on sleep quality,
Establish the direct and indirect intervention effects of cool roofs on HbA1c, as mediated through sleep quality.

Methods:

We will measure sleep quality endpoints, using a smart watch on 152 individuals, 76 in each group (cool roof intervention or control)
We will measure HbA1c, using HemoCue®️ HbA1c 501 System, in all the participants enrolled in the study (n=1200) at two time points, at the beginning and at the end of the one year follow up
Internal air temperature and humidity will be captured
We will conduct appropriate regression analyses to determine the effects of cool roof on sleep and metabolic outcomes.

Contributing Scientists (in alphabetical order):

Prof. Dr. Dr. Till Bärnighausen (Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University)

Dr. Aditi Bunker (Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University)

Boubacar Coulibaly (Director, Centre de Recherche en santé de Nouna)

Dr. Guillaume Compoaré (PhD candidate, Heidelberg University and field coordinator Centre de Recherche en santé de Nouna)

Prof. Dr. Ina Danquah (Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University)

Dr. Ali Sie (Director, Centre de Recherche en santé de Nouna)