Evaluation of Impacts of Access to Credit and Loan Size for Microcredit Clients in South Africa

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study involves randomization of individuals who were initially rejected from a micro-lending organization in South Africa. Subjects were placed into two arms: (1) not receiving a loan; (2) being reconsidered for a second look. Of those in the second arm, 53% were then selected by the organization's loan officers to receive a standard loan for first-time borrowers. Mental health and financial data were collected at one timepoint: approximately 6-12 months after the subjects first applied for the loan.

Official Title
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Evaluation of Impacts of Access to Credit and Loan Size for Microcredit Clients in South Africa

Conditions
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Mental Health, Depression, Stress

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Small loan


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Subjects were recruited from those who had been rejected from a lending organization for non-fraudulent or non-overindebtness reasons. Exclusion Criteria: None.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| No Intervention: 1<br>Individuals who were rejected from receiving a loan from a micro-lending organization were randomized to continue receiving no loan. | |
| Experimental: 2<br>Individuals who were rejected from receiving a loan from a micro-lending organization were randomized to receive a second look, to be reconsidered for a loan by loan officers. | Other: Small loan<br>* Applicants in the treatment group 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).<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), a 20-item questionnaire (0 = no risk, 60 = highest risk) |  | At follow-up (6-12 months after subject enrollment) | 
| Perceived stress, measured using the Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), a 10-item questionnaire (0 = no stress, 40 = high stress) |  | At follow-up (6-12 months after subject enrollment) | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Household income, measured by a variety of questions that asked about all sources of income obtained by all members of the applicant's household. |  | At follow-up (6-12 months after subject enrollment) | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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depression, stress, microcredit, poverty, South Africa