Income Volatility and Mental Health, Full Experiment
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexFemale
Age18-60
SponsorCornell University
About this trial
Income instability is a defining aspect of the lives of the poor, who also disproportionately suffer from poor mental and physical health. This research is the first to assess the causal effects of predictable and unpredictable income instability on the psychological and physical health of the poor. It will advance the scientific knowledge on the effects of economic instability as well as understanding of health gaps across populations.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
Between ages of 18 - 60
Female
Lives in a household with 5 or fewer adults
Disqualifiers
Pregnancy
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Work opportunities
BehavioralIndividuals in the treated arms of the study will be offered work opportunities (sewing bags) to earn cash. The timing of these opportunities and knowledge of the amount and timing varies by experimental arm.
Treatment groups
2,267 Participants
are divided into 4 treatment groupsGroup A: ControlNo intervention 0 interventions
Group B: Stable Income ArmExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group C: Predictable Instability ArmExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group D: Unpredictable Instability ArmExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Depression
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-8, each item is scored 0-3. Multiplying the range per item (0-3) by the number of items (8) gives the total corresponding range of the scale: 0 to 24. Higher scores indicate worse mental health.
Time frame
The measurement will be taken at endline (after 6 2-week periods of intervention). Respondents will be asked to evaluate each item over the last 10 days.2
Anxiety
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)-7 scale, each item is scored 0-3. Multiplying the range per item (0-3) by the number of items (7) gives the total corresponding range of the scale: 0 to 21. Higher scores indicate worse mental health.
Time frame
The measurement will be taken at endline (after 6 2-week periods of intervention). Respondents will be asked to evaluate each item over the last 10 days.3
Dietary Diversity
The Household Dietary Diversity Score is used to measure households' food access on the number of food groups they had consumed (out of 11). The measure sums the number of categories with any positive consumption by the household resulting in a total score between 0 and 11. Households that consume a greater number of food groups are considered to have greater dietary diversity (i.e. more is better).
Time frame
The measurement will be taken at endline (after 6 2-week periods of intervention). Respondents will be asked to evaluate each item over the last ten days.4
Blood Pressure
Blood Pressure Measurement, recorded in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) with two components: systolic and diastolic. Higher values indicate increased cardiovascular risk
Time frame
The measurement will be taken at endline (after 6 2-week periods of intervention).Sponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
Cornell University
Lead sponsor
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Collaborator
Innovations for Poverty Action
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov