Internet-Based Brief Intervention to Prevent Unhealthy Alcohol Use among Young Men: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Introduction

Alcohol use is one of the leading modifiable morbidity and mortality risk factors among young adults.

Setting/Participants

Internet based study in a general population sample of young men with low-risk drinking, recruited between June 2012 and February 2013.

Intervention: Internet-based brief alcohol primary prevention intervention (IBI). The IBI aims at preventing an increase in alcohol use: it consists of normative feedback, feedback on consequences, calorific value alcohol, computed blood alcohol concentration, indication that the reported alcohol use is associated with no or limited risks for health. Intervention group participants received the IBI. Control group (CG) participants completed only an assessment.

Main Outcome Measures

Alcohol use (number of drinks per week), binge drinking prevalence. Analyses were conducted in 2014–2015.

Results

Of 4365 men invited to participate, 1633 did so; 896 reported low-risk drinking and were randomized (IBI: n = 451; CG: n = 445). At baseline, 1 and 6 months, the mean (SD) number of drinks/week was 2.4(2.2), 2.3(2.6), 2.5(3.0) for IBI, and 2.4(2.3), 2.8(3.7), 2.7(3.9) for CG. Binge drinking, absent at baseline, was reported by 14.4% (IBI) and 19.0% (CG) at 1 month and by 13.3% (IBI) and 13.0% (CG) at 6 months. At 1 month, beneficial intervention effects were observed on the number of drinks/week (p = 0.05). No significant differences were observed at 6 months.

Conclusion

We found protective short term effects of a primary prevention IBI.

Full article at:  http://goo.gl/LBr3KO

By:

Nicolas Bertholet, Mohamed Faouzi, Jacques Gaume, Gerhard Gmel, Jean-Bernard Daeppen

Alcohol Treatment Center, Department of community medicine and health, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland

John A. Cunningham

National Institute for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

John A. Cunningham

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada

Bernard Burnand

Institute of social and preventive medicine, Department of community medicine and health, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland

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Brief Motivational Interventions to Reduce Excessive Drinking, Intimate Partner Violence Fail to Positively Impact Outcomes

Findings from a large, randomized clinical trial suggest that the use of an ED-based motivational intervention is not sufficient to reduce incidents of heavy drinking or intimate partner violence (IPV) among women who present to the ED. 

Investigators have found that while heavy drinking and incidents of IPV declined in all groups being evaluated, the intervention, which involved a 20- to 30-minute motivational interview by a masters-prepared social worker and a follow-up reinforcement call, did not make a difference in outcomes. Investigators conclude that more comprehensive solutions are needed. 

Participants for the study were recruited from two urban-area EDs in Philadelphia between January 2011 and December 2014. Patients were randomized to an intervention group or one of two control groups. At one year post-enrollment, nearly half (45%) of all the study participants reported no incidents of IPV in the previous three months, and the researchers found that 22% of all participants were consuming alcohol at safe drinking levels. 

However, there was no evidence that the intervention influenced outcomes. Investigators recommend EDs set up routine screening to identify IPV and co-occurring psychosocial risk factors, and train social workers and IPV advocates to perform safety assessments and provide referrals for more intensive, evidence-based interventions that are tailored to the patient's needs and goals.

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