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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT03226548

Effect of EITC on Biological Markers of Aging, Health and Mortality

Paycheck Plus (PP) is a randomized controlled experiment (RCT) that explores the health and longevity effects associated with increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). EITC is a national program that provides tax credits to low-income, disproportionately minority workers who file taxes. EITC is politically popular, having received bipartisan support. The EITC, along with state supplemental programs, have 7 million American families out of poverty. The investigators' preliminary data analyses show that the EITC has had large population health impacts, reversing declines in self rated health and survival among the poorest Americans.

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Key information

Conditions

Poverty Tax Policy

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Westat

Atlanta, Georgia, 30303, United States

About this study

Poverty disproportionately impacts minority and rural populations and is very strongly correlated with poor health over the life cycle, and has been hypothesized to lead to a shorter, less healthy aging process. Poverty is associated with a greater burden of disease than smoking and obesity combined and accounts for the bulk of health disparities by race. It is widely believed that an antipoverty policy, such as Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), could improve healthy aging among working-age low-income adults over the life cycle. It does so by increasing material hardship and psychological stress, two risk factors that are strongly correlated with biological markers of premature aging (e.g., shorter telomeres, higher cholesterol levels, and higher blood pressure).

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • a US resident
  • Filed taxes
  • Earned <$30,000 in the previous year
  • Aged 21-64
  • Have a Social Security number

Exclusion criteria

  • Eligible for Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance
  • Married
  • Have dependent children

Treatment and study plan

Paycheck Plus

Other

A four-fold increase in the Earned Income Tax Credit

Primary outcomes

  1. Mean Score on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)

    Time frame: 4 Years

    Depression will be measured using the subject's score on the PHQ-9.

  2. EuroQol 5D5L

    Time frame: 4 years

    Health-related quality of life

Secondary outcomes

  1. Mean Body Mass Index (BMI)

    Time frame: 2 Years

    A measure of obesity

  2. Telomere length

    Time frame: 4 years

    Telomere length is a measure of biological age

  3. Mortality

    Time frame: 4 years

    We will link records to National Death Index for future study

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Columbia University

Other

Collaborators

  • MDRC
  • National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Registry information

Official study title

An Experimental Investigation Into the Impact of Socioeconomic Context on Biological Markers of Aging, Health and Mortality

Acronym: PaycheckPlus

Important dates

Study start
2016
Primary completion
2021
Study completion
2021
First posted
Jul 21, 2017
Registry last updated
Apr 6, 2022

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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