Who would have thought that binge drinking among teens may be curbed through the help of text messages? In a new study led by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, it was discovered that a text message-based program may significantly reduce alcohol consumption and sustain its favorable effects.
Young adulthood is a life stage wherein behavioral changes related to substance abuse are prevalent. In cases of health problems associated with this transition, teens usually go to the emergency department (ED) to seek for primary care.
ED trips are good opportunities for health care providers to assess patients and talk them into practicing alcohol preventive measures. Previous investigations show that these interventions are effective, but have not resulted in significant impacts probably due to various hindrances such as high consultation cost and lack of resources required for one-on-one counseling.
The authors of the new study think that one of the ways to break these barriers is to use Internet and mobile devices to send the message across. Through computerized measures, experts are able to standardize their support tools and facilitate decreased associated stigma.
In a controlled and randomized trial, a total of 765 participants aged between 18-25 years old discharged from four urban EDs in western Pennsylvania, were enrolled. The study subjects, who underwent 12 weeks of trial, were divided into three groups.
The first group is the control group, which is composed of people who were provided with standard care but did not received text messages.
The second group is the self-monitoring group, whose members received text messages about alcohol consumption, but received no feedback.
The final group was subjected to the full program, which involves the receipt of text messages every Thursday, asking about drinking plans for the weekend. The program also entails creating an objective to reduce drinking and a follow up text message on Sunday to ask about the actual drinking that transpired, as well as to provide tailored feedback aimed at decreasing alcohol consumption.
If a person from the final group reported an anticipated heavy drinking (five drinks for men and four drinks for women within 24 hours) over the weekend, that person will receive a text message expressing concerns about the plan. A text message asking if he or she is willing to make a commitment to limit drinking below binge thresholds will also be sent.
Those who agreed will receive text messages of positive reinforcements and drinking reduction strategies. Participants who refused to set a goal will be sent a text message, asking them to reflect on their decisions.
After six months, the researchers found that the study subjects who received the full program reported one less binge drinking day per month on the average. The rates of binge drinking among these participants were also said to have dropped by 12 percent.
Meanwhile, those belonging to the two other groups did not exhibit any reduction in alcohol drinking.
"By interacting with individuals in the context of their lives, SMS messages can provide a "cue to action" when self-regulation processes are most vulnerable," the authors wrote.
Dr. Brian Suffoletto, lead author of the study and the designer of the program said that compared to personal interactions with clinicians, which entail a long list of disadvantages and negative attributes, their intervention is measurable, consistent and appears to generate meaningful and possibly life-saving results.
The study was published in PLOS One on Nov. 18, 2015.
Photo: Nadja Tatar | Flickr
