Evaluation of the impacts of loans for Microcredit clients in South Africa
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN10734925 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN10734925 |
| ClinicalTrials.gov number | NCT00700349 |
| Secondary identifying numbers | N/A |
- Submission date
- 13/06/2008
- Registration date
- 24/06/2008
- Last edited
- 25/01/2019
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Mental and Behavioural Disorders
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data
Plain English summary of protocol
Not provided at time of registration
Contact information
Ms Rita Hamad
Scientific
Scientific
c/o UCB-UCSF Joint Medical Program
570 University Hall #1190
Berkeley, CA
94720
United States of America
Study information
| Study design | Randomised controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Interventional |
| Secondary study design | Randomised controlled trial |
| Study setting(s) | Other |
| Study type | Not Specified |
| Scientific title | Evaluation of impacts of access to credit and loan size for Microcredit clients in South Africa |
| Study objectives | If small loans help to increase income, this could alleviate depression and stress among borrowers, particularly for women who experience increases in social and economic status. On the other hand, coping with debt and business pressure may lead to poor mental health, particularly for women who remain obligated to carrying out household work as well. Thus, in theory the sign of the effect of small loans on mental health outcomes is ambiguous. |
| Ethics approval(s) | Princeton University Institutional Review Panel. Date of approval: 14/01/2004 (ref: HSP B.399) |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Mental health |
| Intervention | This is a randomised study conducted within several cities in South Africa. The collaborating organisation is a micro-lender in South Africa. Participants in this study were those who were initially rejected by the organisation. They were then randomised to one of two arms: 1. Not receiving a loan 2. Being re-considered for a "second look." Of those in the second arm, 53% were then selected to receive a standard loan for first-time borrowers. Accepted applicants were offered an interest rate, loan size, and maturity per the lender's standard underwriting criteria, involving a 4-month maturity at 11.75% per month, charged on the original balance (200% annual percentage rate). All data were collected at only one timepoint, approximately 6-12 months after subjects first applied for their loan and were randomised to one of the two study arms. Data were collected from March to November 2005. |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure | 1. Depressive symptoms, measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), a 20-item questionnaire (0 = no risk, 60 = highest risk) 2. Perceived stress, measured using the Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), a 10-item questionnaire (0 = no stress, 40 = high stress) Timepoints of data collection: see Interventions |
| Secondary outcome measures | Household income, measured by a variety of questions that asked about all sources of income obtained by all members of the applicant's household. Timepoints of data collection: see Interventions |
| Overall study start date | 01/09/2004 |
| Completion date | 30/11/2004 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Patient |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 18 Years |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | Approximately 3,000 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. Individuals (both men and women) who had applied to a micro-lender organisation and were initially rejected for non-fraudulent or non-overindebtness reasons. 2. Above 18 years old |
| Key exclusion criteria | None |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/09/2004 |
| Date of final enrolment | 30/11/2004 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- South Africa
- United States of America
Study participating centre
c/o UCB-UCSF Joint Medical Program
Berkeley, CA
94720
United States of America
94720
United States of America
Sponsor information
Innovations for Poverty Action (USA)
Other
Other
c/o Dr Dean Karlan
77 Prospect Street
Room A105
New Haven, CT
06511
United States of America
| Website | http://www.poverty-action.org/index.php |
|---|---|
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/0235ad950 |
Funders
Funder type
Government
Broadening Access and Strengthening Input Market Systems (BASIS)/USAID (Collaborative Research Support Program [CRSP])(USA)
No information available
US National Science Foundation (ref: SES-0424067)
No information available
US National Science Foundation CAREER (ref: SES-05478984)
No information available
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through the Financial Access Initiative (USA)
No information available
Princeton University Center for Migration (USA)
No information available
Social Science Research Council, Program in Applied Economics (USA)
No information available
Federal Reserve Bank of New York (USA)
No information available
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Not provided at time of registration |
| Publication and dissemination plan | Not provided at time of registration |
| IPD sharing plan |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results article | results | 01/12/2008 | 25/01/2019 | Yes | No |
Editorial Notes
25/01/2019: Publication reference added
