Youth Outlook on Life Opportunities Study

Anxiety Clinical Trial

Official title:

Youth Outlook on Life Opportunities Study

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Active, not recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05026619
• Other study ID #: NUS-IRB-2020-362
• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: September 21, 2021
• Est. completion date: December 2025

Study information

• Verified date: March 2023
• Source: National University of Singapore
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Singapore's fertility rate is currently below 1.2, raising concerns about population ageing and long-term sustainability. The fertility decline is characterized by falling birth rates among women in their 20s with almost no recuperation among women in their 30s. This project explores a) whether informational imperfections help to account for high intended ages at childbearing in Singapore, b) whether informational interventions significantly affect ideal and expected ages at marriage and childbearing, and expected probability of undergoing social egg freezing, and c) whether informational interventions significantly affect expected and actual educational outcomes and labor market outcomes.

Our hypotheses are:

1. University students have knowledge gaps about age-related onset of infertility, assisted reproductive technologies and local policy initiatives related to age at marriage and childbearing, especially among male students.

2. Being exposed to accurate information in these domains leads to significantly lower ideal/expected ages at marriage and childbearing, and higher expected probability of undergoing social egg freezing, immediately after the intervention.

3. Being exposed to accurate information in these domains does not lead to lower educational and labor market expectations immediately after the intervention among either male or female students, or to significant differences in module choices, Cumulative Average Point (CAP), starting salary and employment status of university students in the following academic semester and six months after graduation, among either male or female students.

Description:

The project conducts a randomized controlled trial involving 1000 full-time undergraduate students at NUS. The trial has three stages.

In the first stage, participants will be recruited through campus advertisements.

In the second stage, participants who meet the eligibility criteria will complete a 30-40 minute online survey. The survey includes the following:

1. a background survey on items including age, race, family income and parental background,

2. a section on dating history,

3. questions on ideal/expected ages at marriage, expected probability of undergoing social egg freezing, and fertility and educational and career expectations,

4. a section on mental wellbeing,

5. an awareness survey on age-related onset of infertility, assisted reproductive technologies, and local policy initiatives related to age at marriage and childbearing,

6. an informational intervention. One-third of participants (333 individuals) are randomly assigned to receive accurate information on the age-related fertility survey items. One-third of participants (333 individuals) are randomly assigned to receive accurate information on policy-related survey items. One-third of participants (334 individuals) receives a fact sheet on diabetes in Singapore. Participants are asked to read the information thoroughly,

7. selected questions from c), which collects data on after-intervention intended ages at marriage and fertility and educational and career expectations, as well as questions about whether the questions were useful or led to anxiety.

In the third stage, the students' responses are linked to the Educational Data Lake managed by ALSET, Provost's Office, NUS, which collects data on students' module choices (whether within the same major, in a different major within the same faculty or in a different faculty) and CAP in the following academic semester and at graduation, graduation status, and starting salary and employment status six months after graduation. All participants are informed and these linkages are mentioned in the consent form.

After the data collection is completed, we will analyse the data using a difference-in-differences econometric model. Our model compares three sets of dependent variables at different points in time:

1. Ideal/expected ages at marriage and fertility, expected probability of undergoing social egg freezing, and educational and career expectations, compared before and immediately after the intervention,

2. Module choices and CAP, compared before the survey and in the following academic semester and at graduation, and graduation status,

3. Starting salary and employment status, compared between the control and treatment groups six months after graduation (multiple regression rather than difference-in-differences model)

The results are compared by gender, faculty, educational and career expectations, and other background characteristics, including dating history and mental wellbeing.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Enrollment: 1000
• Est. completion date: December 2025
• Est. primary completion date: October 2, 2021
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 20 Years to 24 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Full-time NUS undergraduate

• Singaporean citizen

• Aged 20-24

• Never been married

• Childless and not currently expecting

• Identify as heterosexual

Exclusion Criteria:

• Student enrolled in faculty where the Dean has not provided approval for recruitment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Anxiety
• Educational Problems
• Infertility
• Infertility, Female
• Marriage Age

Intervention

Other:
• Information about age-related fertility
The following information is provided: Age and fertility IVF success rates and side effects
• Information about policy initiatives
The following information is provided: Assisted reproductive technology treatment subsidies Other fertility-related policies
• Information about diabetes
The following information is provided: Diabetes risk factors and treatment Diabetes-related policies

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Singapore	National University of Singapore	Singapore

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
National University of Singapore

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Singapore, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Ideal age at marriage (both self and future spouse), first birth and number of children	During initial survey: Continuous	Within one year and two years of initial survey
Primary	Expected age at marriage (both self and future spouse), first birth and number of children	During initial survey: Continuous percent chance by the following ages A. 25 B. 30 C. 35 D. 40	Within one year and two years of initial survey
Primary	Expected probability of undergoing social egg freezing (only for females respondents)	During initial survey: Continuous percent chance of social egg freezing if available at the following ages: A. 25 B. 30 C. 35 D. 40	Within one year and two years of initial survey
Secondary	Expected levels of education (both self and future spouse)	During initial survey: Continuous percent chance: A. Less than Bachelor's Degree B. Bachelor's Degree or higher C. Master's Degree or higher D. Doctoral Degree or higher	Within one year and two years of initial survey
Secondary	Expected earnings (both self and future spouse)	During initial survey: Continuous at the following ages: A. 25 B. 30 C. 35 D. 40	Within one year and two years of initial survey
Secondary	Expected full-time working status	During initial survey: Continuous percent chance by the following ages A. 25 B. 30 C. 35 D. 40	Within one year and two years of initial survey
Secondary	Expected occupation (self) at age 35	During initial survey: Continuous percent chance: A. Full-time homemaker B. Manager or administrator in a private company C. Manager or administrator in the government/education sector D. Professional without doctoral degree (e.g. engineer, architect, accountant, social worker, teacher) E. Professional with doctoral degree or equivalent (lawyer, physician, scientist, college professor) F. Sales (e.g. insurance agent, real estate) G. Other (e.g. small business owner, etc.)	Within one year and two years of initial survey
Secondary	Expected contribution to housework and childcare if married with young children	During initial survey: Continuous percentage	Within one year and two years of initial survey
Secondary	Usefulness and anxiety over information presented	During initial survey: Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neither agree nor disagree, Agree, Strongly agree	Within one year and two years of initial survey
Secondary	Cumulative Point Average (CAP)	Measured in the following academic semester and at graduation	Within two years and six years of initial survey
Secondary	Module choices	Whether within the same major, in a different major within the same faculty or in a different faculty, in the following academic semester and at graduation	Within two years and six years of initial survey
Secondary	Graduation and honours	Whether graduated and class of honours	Within six years of initial survey
Secondary	Employment status six months after graduation	Whether employed, full-time status	Within six years of initial survey
Secondary	Starting salary	Continuous	Within six years of initial survey