Efficacy of Electric Fans in Children During Heat Waves
Heat Stress · Physiological Stress · Child Development
What this study involves
The registry says this study is recruiting. Individual locations may have different availability.
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Not applicable
- Age range
- 9 years - 25 years
- Sex eligible
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Participants
- 60 Estimated
These are starting points, not an eligibility decision. The research team must review the full requirements.
About the research
Extreme heat exposure is an escalating global public health concern, with climate change driving increases in the frequency, duration, and intensity of heat events. Projections indicate substantial increases in heat-related morbidity and mortality in the coming decades, including among children and youth, who are increasingly recognized as a physiologically vulnerable population. The purpose of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of commonly used heat-mitigation strategies, specifically midday access daylong electric fan use, in reducing physiological strain and maintaining cognitive function, perceptual comfort, and psychological well-being in children and youth exposed to prolonged indoor heat. The study also aims to determine whether these strategies provide comparable protection in children and youth relative to young adults. Participants will complete four sessions under the same environmental conditions (31°C and 36°C), with each temperature completed twice: once with continuous electric fan use and once without fan use. The four sessions therefore consist of: (1) 31°C without fan use; (2) 31°C with fan use; (3) 36°C without fan use; and (4) 36°C with fan use.
Who may be able to participate?
The list below is the sponsor’s full registry wording. It can include conditions, prior treatment, test results and other requirements. A match in search does not mean you qualify.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Participants must be healthy males or females within the specified age ranges (9-12 years, 13-16 years, or 20-25 years).
- All participants must be habitually active, defined as participation in regular physical activity at least three times per week for a minimum of 20 minutes per session over the previous six months.
- Participants must be able to understand and communicate in English or French.
- For participants under 18 years of age, written parental or guardian consent and participant assent will be required prior to participation.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Individuals will be excluded from participation if they have any acute illness at the time of testing (e.g., cold, flu, or infection), or a history of chronic medical conditions that may affect thermoregulation, cardiovascular function, or exercise capacity, including but not limited to cardiovascular, metabolic, respiratory, or neurological disorders. Individuals taking medications known to influence thermoregulation, hydration status, or cardiovascular responses will also be excluded.
- Participants with a history of heat-related illness (e.g., heat exhaustion or heat stroke) will not be eligible.
- Individuals with digestive abnormalities or gastrointestinal conditions that may contraindicate ingestion of a telemetry pill will also be excluded.
- Any individual who, in the opinion of the investigators, may be at increased risk or unable to safely complete the study procedures will be excluded.
Treatment, groups and participation
The registry may describe treatments and study duration without a complete visit calendar. Ask the study team for the exact schedule, procedures, risks, costs and alternatives. Keep your usual care plan unless your treating clinician tells you otherwise.
- Assignment
- Random assignment
- Masking
- No masking
Warm indoor environment of 31°C without fans
Participants exposed daylong (6 hours) to an indoor temperature maintained at 31°C and 45% relative humidity without fan exposure.
Other: Simulated exposure to indoor overheating without fans
Warm indoor environment of 31°C with fans
Participants exposed daylong (6 hours) to an indoor temperature maintained at 31°C and 45% relative humidity with fan exposure.
Other: Simulated exposure to indoor overheating with fans
Hot indoor environment of 36°C without fans
Participants exposed daylong (6 hours) to an indoor temperature maintained at 36°C and 45% relative humidity with fan exposure.
Other: Simulated exposure to indoor overheating without fans
Hot indoor environment of 36°C with fans
Participants exposed daylong (6 hours) to an indoor temperature maintained at 36°C and 45% relative humidity with fan exposure.
Other: Simulated exposure to indoor overheating with fans
Simulated exposure to indoor overheating without fans OTHER
Children and young adults exposed to a 6-hour simulated heat exposure without fans.
Simulated exposure to indoor overheating with fans OTHER
Children and young adults exposed to a 6-hour simulated heat exposure without fans.
What researchers are measuring
Outcome measures describe what is being studied. They are not proof that a treatment works.
Primary measures
Core temperature (Peak) during daylong exposure to indoor overheating
Time frame: End of 6 hour daylong exposure
Peak core (indexed by visceral temperature) temperature (15 min average) during exposure. Visceral temperature is measured continuously throughout the 6 hour exposure to the simulated indoor overheating.
Secondary measures
Profiles of Mood States (POMS) during daylong exposure to indoor overheating
Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure
Potential changes in mood (7 subscales of mood: tension, anger, depression, fatigue, confusion, vigor and esteem related affect). The POMS-40 is a validated, self-administered questionnaire that examines seven distinct aspects of mood state across two positive subscales (Esteem-Related Affect, and Vigor) and five negative subscales (Fatigue, Tension, Confusion, Anger, and Depression), which are described across 40 distinct adjectives. For each individual item, participants are asked to describe "how you feel right now" by responding using a 5-point Likert scale (0 = "Not at all", 1 = "A little", 2 = "Moderately", 3 = "Quite a lot", or 4 = "Extremely"). The values of items associated with a specific subscale (e.g., Fatigue) are summed to calculate its score.
Environmental Symptoms Questionnaire (ESQ) during daylong exposure to indoor overheating
Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure
Self-reported environmental reactions and medical symptomatology associated with prolonged heat exposure. The ESQ-IV is a validated 68-item, self-administered questionnaire that has been used successfully in identifying symptomatology during exposure to a wide variety of environmental conditions, including heat exposure. Participants are asked to assess and described "how you have been feeling today" by responding to each item using a 6-point Likert scale (0 = "Not at all", 1 = "Slight", 2 = "Somewhat", 3 = "Moderate", 4 = "Quite a bit", or 5 = "Extreme"). Total Symptom Score is calculated from this data by taking the sum of the intensity ratings from all 68 individual items using reverse scores for the three positive items from the list ("I Felt Good", "I Felt Alert", and "I Felt Wide Awake").
Perceived exertion scale during daylong exposure to indoor temperature limit
Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure
Perceived exertional assessed via an ordinal scale ("How hard are you working?") ranging from "no exertional at all" to "maximal exertion"
Activity levels (total steps taken) during daylong exposure to indoor overheating
Time frame: End of 6 hour daylong exposure
Activity levels, quantified by number of steps taken per hour and totaled for each 6 hour exposure, assessed via a wearable accelerometer worn on the wrist and hip.
Feel good scale during daylong exposure to indoor overheating
Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure
Feel good scale assessed via an ordinal scale (How good do you feel?) ranging from "very good" to "very bad" (midpoint: neutral)
Thirst sensation scale during daylong exposure to indoor overheating
Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure
Thirst sensation assessed via an ordinal scale ranging from very, very thirsty to not thirsty at all.
Thermal comfort scale during daylong exposure to indoor overheating
Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure
Thermal comfort assessed via an ordinal scale ("How comfortable does your body temperature feel?") ranging from "very uncomfortable" to "comfortable".
Thermal sensation 2 scale during daylong exposure to indoor overheating
Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure
Thermal sensation assessed via an ordinal scale ("How do you feel?") ranging from "hot" to "cold" (midpoint: neutral)
Thermal sensation scale during daylong exposure to indoor overheating
Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure
Thermal sensation assessed via an ordinal scale (How hot do you feel?) ranging from "extremely hot" to "neutral".
Fluid loss during daylong exposure to indoor overheating
Time frame: At end of 6 hour daylong exposure
Fluid loss calculated as the change in body mass during each exposure presented as a percentage of baseline body mass (corrected for food consumption).
Fluid consumption during daylong exposure to indoor overheating
Time frame: At end of 6 hour daylong exposure
Average hourly fluid consumption calculated by weighing participant water intake at the start and end of each hour of exposure (normalized to the exposure duration).
Hydration status during daylong exposure to indoor overheating
Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure
Hydration status measured via assessing the urine specific gravity of a urine sample.
BTrackS Balance Assessment during daylong exposure to indoor overheating (postural stability)
Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure
To assess postural stability, participants will be asked to stand on a BTracks force plate with their feet spread out to shoulder width, hand on their hips and eyes closed. The assessment will comprise of four trials (one practice trial) lasting 20 seconds in length and 20 seconds between trials. Center of pressure (COP) vector data along vertical (y) and horizontal (x) axes will be summed for the total path excursion length (cm) during each trial
Executive function during daylong exposure to indoor overheating (cognitive function).
Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure
Participants will be provided with a tablet device with the Sway Medical testing platform for the assessment of executive function. Participants will complete the Cued Stroop test, in which they are presented a sequence of congruent, neutral and incongruent color-word tasks.
CDC 4-Stage Balance Test during daylong exposure to indoor overheating (postural stability).
Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure
To assess postural stability, participants hold a tablet to their chest, then auditory cues guide participants through four consecutive stances, feet side by side, instep of one foot touching the big toe of the other foot, tandem stand with one foot in front of the other, heel touching toe, and stand on one foot. The balance assessment will be evaluated based on movement detected by an accelerometer integrated into the hardware of the tablet device (Sway Medical Inc).
Memory recall during daylong exposure to indoor overheating (cognitive function).
Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure
Participants will be provided with a tablet device with the Sway Medical testing platform for the assessment of memory recall. Participants complete both a delayed recall test and a working memory test.
Impulse control during daylong exposure to indoor overheating (cognitive function).
Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure
Participants will be provided with a tablet device with the Sway Medical testing platform for the assessment of impulse control. Participants will be asked to respond to both "go" and "no-go" visual cues. In response to the "go" cue, participants will initiate a movement of the device.
Reaction time during daylong exposure to indoor overheating (cognitive function).
Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure
Participants will be provided with a tablet device with the Sway Medical testing platform for the assessment of reaction time. Participants will be asked to initiate a movement of the device in response to a visual cue.
Diastolic blood pressure during daylong exposure to indoor overheating.
Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure
Diastolic blood pressure measured in triplicate via automated oscillometry (\~60 seconds between measures).
Systolic blood pressure during daylong exposure to indoor overheating
Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure
Systolic blood pressure measured in triplicate via automated oscillometry (\~60 seconds between measures).
Heart rate end of daylong exposure to indoor overheating
Time frame: End of 6 hour daylong exposure
Heart rate measured at hour 6 of exposure to indoor overheating (15-min average).
Heart rate (AUC) during daylong exposure to indoor overheating
Time frame: End of 6 hour daylong exposure
Areas under the curve (AUC) of heart rate during the 6 hour exposure to the simulate indoor overheating.
Heat rate (Peak) during daylong exposure to indoor overheating
Time frame: End of 6 hour daylong exposure
Peak heart rate (15 min average) during exposure. Heart rate is measured continuously throughout the 6 hour exposure to the simulated indoor overheating.
Mean skin temperature end of daylong exposure to indoor overheating
Time frame: End of 6 hour daylong exposure
Mean skin temperature measured over 7 body regions at hour 6 of exposure to indoor overheating (15-min average).
Mean skin temperature (AUC) during daylong exposure to indoor overheating
Time frame: End of 6 hour daylong exposure
Areas under the curve (AUC) of mean skin temperature as calculated over 7 body regions during the 6 hour exposure to the simulate indoor overheating.
Mean skin temperature (Peak) during daylong exposure to indoor overheating
Time frame: End of 6 hour daylong exposure
Peak mean skin temperature (15 min average) during exposure. Mean skin temperature as calculated from skin temperature measured across 7 body regions is measured continuously throughout the 6 hour exposure to the simulated indoor overheating.
Core temperature end of daylong exposure to indoor overheating
Time frame: End of 6 hour daylong exposure
Visceral temperature measured at hour 6 of exposure to indoor overheating (15-min average).
Core temperature (AUC) during daylong exposure to indoor overheating
Time frame: End of 6 hour daylong exposure
Areas under the curve (AUC) of visceral temperature during the 6 hour exposure to the simulate indoor overheating.
Review the complete result tables and limitations in the official record.
Open official results ↗Research locations (1)
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1 locations
University of OttawaOttawa, Ontario, CanadaRecruiting
Study team and timeline
- Lead sponsor
- University of Ottawa
- Study start
- Oct 2, 2026 Actual
- Primary completion
- Apr 30, 2027 Estimated
- Study completion
- Jun 30, 2027 Estimated
- First posted
- Oct 7, 2026 Actual
- Last updated
- Nov 10, 2026 Actual
Official study contacts
Official study title
Effectiveness of Heat Mitigation Strategies in Mitigating Increases in Physiological Strain in Children and Youth Exposed to Indoor Overheating
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Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Information is submitted by sponsors and investigators. NLM does not approve the safety or science of all listed studies. Registry disclaimer.
Retrieved: Nov 12, 2026 · Last registry update: Nov 10, 2026