Building Inclusive Social Infrastructure to Combat Loneliness and Improve Wellbeing

Last registered on June 03, 2026
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Building Inclusive Social Infrastructure to Combat Loneliness and Improve Wellbeing
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0018454
Initial registration date
May 27, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
June 03, 2026, 8:50 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Vatsal Khandelwal
Affiliation
University of Exeter
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2025-06-12
End date
2027-01-01
Keywords
Behavior, Health, Welfare
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This project investigates whether creating social infrastructure i.e. platforms for community interactions, can reduce social isolation, improve physical and mental well-being, and influence social norms among older adults in rural India.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Khandelwal, Vatsal. 2026. "Building Inclusive Social Infrastructure to Combat Loneliness and Improve Wellbeing." AEA RCT Registry. June 03. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.18454-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Weekly group sessions in local public libraries for older adults. Activities include light exercise, music, storytelling, collaborative games, and intergenerational interactions with children, designed to build and strengthen social ties.
Intervention Start Date
2025-06-26
Intervention End Date
2026-06-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Social networks and interactions; social perceptions and trust; physical health and functional ability; norms around socializing in old age; mental health and well-being; cognitive function; awareness of and agency over government programs.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
In 50 treatment villages, eligible older adults were individually randomized into treatment (invited to attend library sessions) and within-village control (not invited). Eligibility is based on willingness to attend the meetings.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Computer-generated random assignment using Stata.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
50 villages
Sample size: planned number of observations
2,500 surveyed in 50 treatment villages
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
50 treatment villages (2,500 individuals, of whom 1,103 are individually randomized to be invited to sessions and 788 are randomized to within-village control; the remainder were not eligible for randomization).
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Exeter
IRB Approval Date
2025-06-10
IRB Approval Number
9733774
Analysis Plan

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