Weather Risk PerceptionNCT04919148
Perceptions of Weather Risks and Climate Beliefs Among the Hong Kong General Public
A study testing Heat risk and pro-environment behavior message in people with Weather Risk Perception, run by The University of Hong Kong at 1 site in Hong Kong.
Trial summary
Background: Local abnormal heat events may be used as proxies for communicating the health impacts of climate change when people physically feel the effects to reduce the psychological distance of climate change and improve public engagement with climate and weather risk. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Weather Risk Perception
- What is being tested?
- Heat risk and pro-environment behavior message
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 429 participants
- Where
- 1 siteHong Kong
- Study dates
- 28 Jul 2020to 30 Aug 2021
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Participants should own a mobile phone and be able to read Chinese.
Who cannot join
- Participants with no mobile phone or cannot understand Chinese will be excluded.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Climate Change Beliefs, Perceived Risk of Heat Stress and Responses to Heat Health Warnings Among the General Public of Hong Kong: a Mixed-methods Study
Background: Local abnormal heat events may be used as proxies for communicating the health impacts of climate change when people physically feel the effects to reduce the psychological distance of climate change and improve public engagement with climate and weather risk. However, there are concerns that this strategy may be more effective for climate believers, and that it may somewhat compromise the scientific precision because it may lead to erroneous beliefs that climate change is merely characterized by temperature rises or extreme heat but ignore other extreme weather events such as flood and extreme cold, and that cold spells are interpreted as evidence of no climate change. None of these potential effects and concerns has been tested.
Aims: This proposed study is aimed to explore patterns of climate beliefs and their influences on perceptions of heat-related risks and responses to heat health warnings in the general public of Hong Kong; (2) Test the preliminary effects of a revised heat health warning (RHHW) that incorporates information about the health impacts of climate change into existing heat health warning on perceived heat-related risk and climate beliefs.
Read more
Design and subjects: This will be a mix-methods study comprising in-depth qualitative interviews, a population-based cohort survey and a pilot randomized control trial (RCT). Subjects will be the general Hong Kong Chinese adults aged ≥18 years.
Main outcome measures: Latent class analysis will be conducted to examine patterns of climate beliefs while structural equation modelling to test the relationships among climate beliefs, perceived heat-related risks and behavioural responses to heat warnings. Qualitative data will be analysed using thematic content analysis while the effect of RHHW will be tested using t-test and linear regression models.
- Conditions
- Weather Risk Perception
- Being tested
- Heat risk and pro-environment behavior message
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Heat risk and pro-environment behavior messageBehavioural
Eligible participants will be randomized to either a control condition to receive a standardized heat health warning or an intervention condition to receive a heat health warning plus figures depicting heat risk and pro-environment behavior via their preferred and accessible channel (WhatsApp, WeChat or the text message) each time when a Very Hot Weather Warning is issued by the Hong Kong Observatory.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Participants receive control message | No intervention | Participants only receive standard heat risk warning |
| Participants receive intervention message | Experimental | Participants receive standard heat risk warning plus figures incorporating the health impacts of heat and pro-environment behaviors. Receives: Behavioral: Heat risk and pro-environment behavior message |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Emotional engagement with heat and climate change risk (emotional valence)
Measure participants' emotional engagement with risk of heat stress and climate change, in specific, participants will be asked to indicate how they feel about the health impacts of climate change (using a slider from -3 to 3). Higher scores indicate more positive emotion.
Measured: One week after completion of all messages delivery
Emotional engagement with heat and climate change risk (discrete emotion)
Participants will be asked how much they feel fear/helpless/worried/disgust when thinking about health impacts of climate change (on a 7-point Likert scale). Higher scores indicate stronger emotion arousal.
Measured: One week after completion of all messages delivery
Short-term effect of risk perception toward heat and climate change risk
Their perceived health risk toward climate change and heat stress will be measured using items derived from our baseline and follow-up surveys (likelihood, severity and perceived worry will be used to gauge participants' risk perception). All measures on a 5-point likert scale with higher scores indicating greater risk perception.
Measured: One week after completion of all messages delivery
Long-term effect of risk perception toward heat and climate change
Their perceived health risk toward climate change and heat stress will be measured using items derived from our baseline and follow-up surveys (likelihood, severity and perceived worry will be used to gauge participants' risk perception). All measures on a 5-point likert scale with higher scores indicating greater risk perception.
Measured: One month after completion of all messages delivery
Secondary outcomes (4)
Short-term effect of self-efficacy in taking pro-environment actions
Perceived self-efficacy in taking actions to mitigate climate change will be measured by four items derived from previous baseline and follow-up surveys.(Items include: 1) I can personally help to reduce climate change by changing my behavior 2) There are a variety of external factors that make it difficult for me to take actions that help to reduce climate change 3) My action to reduce the effects of climate change in my community will encourage others to reduce the effect of climate change through their own actions 4) If I want, it is easy for me to take actions to help tackle climate change). Responses will be rated on a 5-point Likert (Strongly disagree/Disagree/Agree/Strongly agree/No opinion).
Measured: One week after completion of all messages delivery
Long-term effect of self-efficacy in taking pro-environment actions
Perceived self-efficacy in taking actions to mitigate climate change will be measured by four items derived from previous baseline and follow-up surveys.(Items include: 1) I can personally help to reduce climate change by changing my behavior 2) There are a variety of external factors that make it difficult for me to take actions that help to reduce climate change 3) My action to reduce the effects of climate change in my community will encourage others to reduce the effect of climate change through their own actions 4) If I want, it is easy for me to take actions to help tackle climate change). Responses will be rated on a 5-point Likert (Strongly disagree/Disagree/Agree/Strongly agree/No opinion).
Measured: One month after completion of all messages delivery
Short-term effect of intention in taking pro-environment actions
Participants will also be asked to indicate their intention to 1) reduce energy waste 2) buy energy efficient products, and 3) change some of the daily habits to help tackle climate change. Responses will be rated on a 7-point Likert scale. Higher scores indicate greater behavioral intention.
Measured: One week after completion of all messages delivery
Long-term effect of intention in taking pro-environment actions
Participants will also be asked to indicate their intention to 1) reduce energy waste 2) buy energy efficient products, and 3) change some of the daily habits to help tackle climate change. Responses will be rated on a 7-point Likert scale. Higher scores indicate greater behavioral intention.
Measured: One month after completion of all messages delivery
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 Jun 2021
- Study start28 Jul 2020
- Primary completion30 Aug 2021
- Study completion30 Aug 2021
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Weather Risk PerceptionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by The University of Hong KongThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 429 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The University of Hong Kong
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Qiuyan Liao, The University of Hong Kong
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04919148
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- UW 19-093
- Status last verified
- May 2022
- First submitted
- 28 May 2021
- Last updated
- 19 May 2022
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided: Derived data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 19 May 2022. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Climate Change Beliefs, Perceived Risk of Heat Stress and Responses to Heat Health Warnings Among the General Public of Hong Kong: a Mixed-methods Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04919148
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- UW 19-093
- Conditions
- Weather Risk Perception
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 429 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- The University of Hong KongUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 28 Jul 2020 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Aug 2021 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Aug 2021 (actual)
- First posted
- 9 Jun 2021 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Background: Local abnormal heat events may be used as proxies for communicating the health impacts of climate change when people physically feel the effects to reduce the psychological distance of climate change and improve public engagement with climate and weather risk. However, there are concerns that this strategy may be more effective for climate believers, and that it may somewhat compromise the scientific precision because it may lead to erroneous beliefs that climate change is merely characterized by temperature rises or extreme heat but ignore other extreme weather events such as flood and extreme cold, and that cold spells are interpreted as evidence of no climate change. None of these potential effects and concerns has been tested.
Aims: This proposed study is aimed to explore patterns of climate beliefs and their influences on perceptions of heat-related risks and responses to heat health warnings in the general public of Hong Kong; (2) Test the preliminary effects of a revised heat health warning (RHHW) that incorporates information about the health impacts of climate change into existing heat health warning on perceived heat-related risk and climate beliefs.
Design and subjects: This will be a mix-methods study comprising in-depth qualitative interviews, a population-based cohort survey and a pilot randomized control trial (RCT). Subjects will be the general Hong Kong Chinese adults aged ≥18 years.
Main outcome measures: Latent class analysis will be conducted to examine patterns of climate beliefs while structural equation modelling to test the relationships among climate beliefs, perceived heat-related risks and behavioural responses to heat warnings. Qualitative data will be analysed using thematic content analysis while the effect of RHHW will be tested using t-test and linear regression models.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Participants receive control message | No intervention | –Participants only receive standard heat risk warning |
| Participants receive intervention message | Experimental | Behavioral: Heat risk and pro-environment behavior messageParticipants receive standard heat risk warning plus figures incorporating the health impacts of heat and pro-environment behaviors. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Participants should own a mobile phone and be able to read Chinese.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Participants with no mobile phone or cannot understand Chinese will be excluded.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Heat risk and pro-environment behavior messageEligible participants will be randomized to either a control condition to receive a standardized heat health warning or an intervention condition to receive a heat health warning plus figures depicting heat risk and pro-environment behavior via their preferred and accessible channel (WhatsApp, WeChat or the text message) each time when a Very Hot Weather Warning is issued by the Hong Kong Observatory. | Behavioural | Participants receive intervention message |
Primary outcome
Emotional engagement with heat and climate change risk (emotional valence)
Time frame: One week after completion of all messages delivery
Measure participants' emotional engagement with risk of heat stress and climate change, in specific, participants will be asked to indicate how they feel about the health impacts of climate change (using a slider from -3 to 3). Higher scores indicate more positive emotion.
Emotional engagement with heat and climate change risk (discrete emotion)
Time frame: One week after completion of all messages delivery
Participants will be asked how much they feel fear/helpless/worried/disgust when thinking about health impacts of climate change (on a 7-point Likert scale). Higher scores indicate stronger emotion arousal.
Short-term effect of risk perception toward heat and climate change risk
Time frame: One week after completion of all messages delivery
Their perceived health risk toward climate change and heat stress will be measured using items derived from our baseline and follow-up surveys (likelihood, severity and perceived worry will be used to gauge participants' risk perception). All measures on a 5-point likert scale with higher scores indicating greater risk perception.
Long-term effect of risk perception toward heat and climate change
Time frame: One month after completion of all messages delivery
Their perceived health risk toward climate change and heat stress will be measured using items derived from our baseline and follow-up surveys (likelihood, severity and perceived worry will be used to gauge participants' risk perception). All measures on a 5-point likert scale with higher scores indicating greater risk perception.
4 secondary outcomes
Short-term effect of self-efficacy in taking pro-environment actions
Time frame: One week after completion of all messages delivery
Long-term effect of self-efficacy in taking pro-environment actions
Time frame: One month after completion of all messages delivery
Short-term effect of intention in taking pro-environment actions
Time frame: One week after completion of all messages delivery
Long-term effect of intention in taking pro-environment actions
Time frame: One month after completion of all messages delivery
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 19 May 2022.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided. Derived data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Heat risk and pro-environment behavior message in people with Weather Risk Perception, run by The University of Hong Kong at 1 site in Hong Kong.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 19 May 2022. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Hong Kong. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Emotional engagement with heat and climate change risk (emotional valence) (time frame: One week after completion of all messages delivery). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 19 May 2022.