Community Health Adaptation & Resilience Mobilization (CHARM) HeatWise
Purpose
Extreme heat events pose serious health risks, especially for communities with limited access to cooling, transportation, or social support. This study pilots and tests HEATwise, a heat preparedness program delivered at trusted community centers in Lake County, California, serving older adults, Tribal members, and people experiencing housing or economic hardship. HEATwise is a 12-week program which includes a group workshop on heat risks and preparedness, one-on-one resource navigation, a community celebration event, and a cooling and emergency supply kit. The pilot phase (2026) will assess feasibility and acceptability at three sites with approximately 60 participants. The full trial (2027-2028) will randomly assign eight sites to receive HEATwise immediately or after a delay, measuring whether the program increases protective behaviors, reduces heat-related symptoms, and strengthens resilience over 12 months.
Condition
- Heat Illness
Eligibility
- Eligible Ages
- Over 18 Years
- Eligible Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- Eligible participants are adults (≥18 years) who have resided in Lake County for at least 6 months, are able to access a phone for study communications, and are willing to provide a valid secondary contact for the duration of the study.
Exclusion Criteria
- Participants must also be a recognized member or affiliate of a articipating site, referred by the site, or reside within 5 miles of the site. Individuals are excluded if another household member is already enrolled in the study, if they cannot provide a secondary or emergency contact, are unable to independently complete study activities, or plan to be away for 15 or more consecutive days during the intervention period.
Study Design
- Phase
- N/A
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel Assignment
- Intervention Model Description
- This study uses a cluster randomized, parallel assignment, waitlist-controlled design. Community-based sites serving rural, underserved populations are randomized to either immediate implementation of the Helping Everyone Adapt Together-Wise (HEATWise) or to a waitlist control condition. Participants at control sites complete baseline and follow-up assessments during the six-month evaluation period and receive the intervention after primary outcome data collection is completed. Randomization occurs at the site level to reduce contamination, and analyses account for clustering.
- Primary Purpose
- Prevention
- Masking
- None (Open Label)
Arm Groups
| Arm | Description | Assigned Intervention |
|---|---|---|
|
Experimental Immediate HEATWise |
Intervention shortly after enrollment |
|
|
Other Delayed HEATWise) |
Treatment as usual. These sites will offer the HEATwise program the following year, after the intervention is complete, and all waitlist control participants will be invited to participate. |
|
Recruiting Locations
Lakeport, California 95453
More Details
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sponsor
- Public Health Institute, California