ArticleBMC public health2026
Investigating environmental heat exposure and its effects on maternal and fetal health in rural Northern Ghana (Physio-HeMAB Study): a study protocol for a cluster randomized trial.
Article in BMC public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
19 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundClimate change increases the frequency and intensity of heat events. Previous studies have established a correlation between heat exposure and adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth, stillbirth, and other maternal and fetal health complications. However, evidence on the physiological pathways underlying heat strain during pregnancy and on whether heat adaptation strategies can modify these responses remains limited, particularly in low-resource settings. This study aims to assess the effects of environmental heat exposure on maternal and fetal physiological responses among pregnant women exposed and unexposed to a heat adaptation strategy.
methodsPhysio-HeMAB is an interventional, cluster-randomized study hosted by the Health and Demographic Surveillance System in Navrongo, Ghana. This study integrates: (i) high-resolution environmental monitoring including Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature at household level and Universal Thermal Climate Index environmental data at regional level; (ii) continuous maternal physiological assessment via wearable devices measuring heart rate, heart rate variability, core body temperature, physical activity, and sleep; and (iii) fetal health assessments, including fetal heart rate and Doppler indices. This multimodal framework supports detailed assessment of how varying levels of environmental heat exposure relate to maternal physiological changes and fetal health indicators. Descriptive and multivariable statistical methods will be used to analyze the data. DISCUSSION: A better understanding of the physiological mechanisms of heat strain during pregnancy, and an evaluation of whether targeted adaptation strategies can mitigate its effects, are essential for protecting maternal and neonatal health. This Physio-HeMAB study integrates individual-level physiological responses to environmental heat exposure and heat adaptation strategies. This approach strengthens the evidence for developing context-specific and gender-responsive public health interventions.
trial registrationThis study was registered in the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry as PACTR202601761543866 on 05 January 2026.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.