Mitigating Heat Stress Among Rickshaw Drivers in Bangladesh

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY · Apr 25, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial aims to study how heat stress affects the body of rickshaw drivers in Bangladesh. The researchers want to see what happens to the drivers' core body temperature and the length of their telomeres, which are protective caps on our DNA that can indicate aging. To do this, they will invite rickshaw drivers who usually push their rickshaws manually to participate. Half of the drivers will continue using their manual rickshaws, while the other half will switch to battery-powered rickshaws for four months. The study will help understand if using battery power can reduce heat stress and improve health.

To be part of this study, drivers need to have been working with a manual rickshaw for at least 8 hours a day, five days a week, for the past year. However, they cannot have used a battery-powered rickshaw in the last year or have certain health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart and respiratory diseases. Participants will receive support and monitoring during the study to see how the changes affect their health over time. This trial is not yet recruiting but is looking to gather valuable information about the health impacts of heat on these workers.

Gender

MALE

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Reports driving a manual rickshaw at least five days per week for at least 8 hours per day for the past 12 months
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Reports driving a battery-powered rickshaw in the past 12 months
• • Has hypertension, as measured by our study staff
• • Has diabetes, as measured by our staff
• • Reports diagnosis with cardiovascular disease / chronic cardiac condition
• • Reports diagnosis with respiratory disease / chronic respiratory condition