Smartphone Climate Adaptation and IPV Intervention for Women in Informal Settlements in Kenya

Africa Institute of Mental and Brain Health (AFRIMEB)

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Stress (Psychology); Intimate Partner Violence (IPV); Climate Change

Treatments: Behavioral: Event-Triggered WINGS-Based EMI; Behavioral: Single-Session Mobile WINGS

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT07492368

R21_R33

4R33MH134257-03 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study is testing a smartphone-delivered program to help women living in informal settlements in Kenya manage intimate partner violence (IPV) and stress related to extreme weather events. Women in these communities often face high levels of violence from partners, challenges caused by climate-related events, and limited access to support services.

Participants will be randomly assigned to either a mobile intervention or a comparison condition. The mobile program provides short, tailored sessions that help women learn safety planning, coping skills, and strategies for adapting to climate-related stress. The program also offers tools to improve communication and strengthen social support.

The main goal of the study is to see whether this smartphone-based approach can reduce the frequency and severity of IPV over 12 months. The study will also examine changes in stress levels, self-confidence in handling problems, social support, and safety behaviors.

Results from this study may help create accessible, scalable support for women experiencing IPV and climate-related stress in similar settings.

Full description

This study is a randomized controlled trial designed to test the effectiveness of a smartphone-delivered intervention that integrates climate adaptation strategies with an evidence-based approach to reducing intimate partner violence (IPV) and related stress among women living in informal settlements in Kenya.

Women living in informal settlements face high levels of poverty, climate-related stressors, and intimate partner violence. Climate-related shocks can increase household stress and economic strain, which may in turn increase the risk of IPV. Despite growing evidence linking climate stress and violence, there are few scalable, low-cost interventions that address both climate-related stress and IPV risk simultaneously.

The intervention builds on prior formative and pilot work conducted in the R21 phase of this project. It combines climate adaptation and problem-solving strategies with core elements of the Women Initiating New Goals of Safety (WINGS) intervention. The program is delivered via smartphone and uses brief, event-triggered sessions to provide support when participants report elevated stress or conflict risk. Participants receive tailored content focused on safety planning, coping skills, communication strategies, and climate-related adaptation planning.

In the R33 phase, 272 women who previously participated in the R21 phase and meet eligibility criteria will be enrolled and randomized to either the smartphone intervention or a comparison condition. Participants will be followed for 12 months.

The primary outcome is the incidence and severity of intimate partner violence over the 12-month follow-up period. Secondary outcomes include stress, self-efficacy, social support, safety behaviors, and related mental health indicators. Assessments will occur at baseline and at multiple follow-up time points, including 3, 6, and 12 months.

The results of this trial will provide evidence on whether a scalable, smartphone-delivered intervention that integrates climate adaptation and violence prevention strategies can reduce IPV and related stress among women living in high-risk urban settings in Kenya.

Enrollment: 272 estimated patients

Sex: Female

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Female
• Age 18 years or older
• Resident of Kibera or Mathare informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya
• Speaks Swahili or English
• Participated in the parent study (1R21MH127356)
• Reported at least one form of intimate partner violence (psychological, -physical, or sexual) in the past 12 months
• Willing to provide informed consent
• Willing to use a smartphone for daily assessments and intervention activities

Exclusion criteria

• No past-year intimate partner violence reported in parent study
• Did not participate in the parent study (1R21MH127356)
• Under 18 years of age
• Unable to provide informed consent
• Does not speak Swahili or English
• Not a resident of Kibera or Mathare informal settlements

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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272 participants in 2 patient groups

Event-triggered WINGS-based EMI

Experimental group

Description:

Participants receive the single-session WINGS plus ongoing, event-triggered Ecological Momentary Intervention (EMI) following extreme weather events (EWE)(heatwaves, cold spells, heavy rainfall). EMIs include daily prompts with personalized safety plans, SOS contacts, and service lists for two weeks post-EWE.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Single-Session Mobile WINGS

Behavioral: Event-Triggered WINGS-Based EMI

Single-session WINGS (mobile version)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants receive a one-time, self-administered mobile version of the WINGS intervention, including safety planning, psychoeducation, goal setting, and service referrals.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Single-Session Mobile WINGS