Participants
1,000 junior female garment workers aged 18 to 30 residing in factory hostels in Bangalore, India.
Study Design
Randomized Controlled Trial targeting newly arrived female migrants entering the formal economy for the first time.
Results
Target population baseline loneliness levels were comparable to chronically ill individuals, with full empirical results on labor and health outcomes forthcoming.
When to use
Young female workers migrating from rural villages to urban factory centers face severe social isolation and acute loneliness. First-time entry into the formal manufacturing economy creates high social costs that reduce worker retention. This method identifies and selects newly arrived junior female migrant workers who need support systems.
How
Recruit and enroll newly arrived young female migrant garment workers into targeted workplace programs using explicit geographic, age, and residential criteria. 1. Target female workers between 18 and 30 years old who enter the formal manufacturing economy for the first time. 2. Select junior workers who relocated from at least 100 kilometers away from the factory location. 3. Verify that participants reside in factory-provided residential hostels. 4. Enroll 1,000 junior female migrant workers across manufacturing plant locations to participate in the program.
Why it works
Targeting newly arrived migrants focuses support on young women who experience the greatest mobility restrictions and social disconnection. Providing structured intervention early helps buffer against the mental health strain of rural-to-urban transition.
Example
Researchers partnered with Shahi Exports in Bangalore, India, to enroll 1,000 junior female migrant garment workers aged 18 to 30 who moved over 100 kilometers from home and lived in factory hostels.
Source and citation
See source →Read alongside the research
Plain-English glossary
Original explanations, informed by the references below. Examples are illustrations, not data from the studies above. The research text stays unchanged.
- Baseline
The starting measurements in a study. Researchers use these to compare what participants were like at the start with what happens later.
ExampleBefore a training programme starts, researchers measure workers’ earnings. That first measurement is the baseline.
GET-IT glossary · Baseline characteristics ↗Read more about baseline →- Randomized controlled trial
A study that uses chance, like drawing lots, to decide who receives each option being compared. Researchers compare the groups’ outcomes to estimate the effect of those options.
ExampleA lottery assigns volunteers to a training programme or a comparison group. Researchers then compare their outcomes.
GET-IT glossary · Randomized study ↗Read more about randomized controlled trial →