Work

Stay in the Game: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Sports and Life Skills Program for Vulnerable Youth in Liberia

Year: 2020

Type: article

Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial

Abstract: Over the past two decades, sports programs have proliferated as a mode of engaging youth in development projects. Thousands of organizations, millions of participants, and hundreds of millions of dollars are invested in sports-based development programs each year. The underlying belief that sports promote socioemotional skills, improve psychological well-being, and foster traits that boost labor force productivity has provided motivation to expand funding and offerings of sport-for-development programs. We partnered with an international nongovernmental organization to randomly assign 1,200 young adults to a sports and life skills development program. While we do not see evidence of improved psychosocial outcomes or resilience, we do find evidence that the program caused a 0.12 standard deviation increase in labor force participation. Secondary analysis suggests that the effects are strongest among those likely to be most disadvantaged in the labor market.

Source: Economic Development and Cultural Change

DOI: 10.1086/711651

Authors: Lori Beaman, Sylvan Herskowitz, Niall Keleher, Jeremy Magruder

Institutions: Northwestern University, International Food Policy Research Institute, Innovations for Poverty Action, University of California, Berkeley

Language: English

Topic: Youth Development and Social Support

Subfield: Safety Research

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities, No poverty

Open Access status: hybrid

OpenAlex ID: W3092227200

FWCI: 1.635

Cites: 41

Cited by: 8

Related to: 10