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

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.