Pilot Study of Text Message Brief Interventions for Problem Drinkers

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study will provide a pilot test of two different text message interventions for problem drinkers. Participants will be recruited using a general population telephone survey. Participants in a control group (who will not receive text messages) will be compared to participants who receive one of two different types of text message packages (12 text messages sent once per week in each) - a series of personalized feedback text messages or a series of consciousness raising test messages (i.e., messages that keep the thought of cutting down on their drinking in the participants' mind). Participants in the three different conditions will be followed-up in three months time to assess changes in drinking. It is predicted that participants who receive either of the text message packages will report reduced drinking as compared to those participants in the control condition who do not receive any text messages.

Official Title
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Pilot Study of Text Message Brief Interventions for Problem Drinkers

Conditions
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Alcohol Dependence

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Personalized feedback text messages
* Behavioral: Consciousness raising text messages


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Resident of Ontario 19 years of age or over Have consumed alcohol in the one month prior to the telephone survey. A score of 8 or over on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) Are willing to participate in follow-up at three months Exclusion Criteria: •None

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 19 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| No Intervention: Control condition<br>No interventions text messages sent | |
| Experimental: Personalized feedback text messages<br>A series of 12 text messages, each of which contains one personalized feedback item about the person's drinking | Behavioral: Personalized feedback text messages<br>* A series of 12 text messages, each of which contains one personalized feedback item about the person's drinking.<br>|
| Experimental: Consciousness raising text message<br>A series of 12 text messages, each of which contains text designed to get the person to think about his or her drinking | Behavioral: Consciousness raising text messages<br>* A series of 12 text messages, each of which consists of an item designed to get the person to think about his or her drinking<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Number of drinks in a typical week |  | Three months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Frequency of consumption |  | Three months | 
| usual number of drinks per occasion |  | Three months | 
| Frequency of consuming 5 or more drinks on one occasion |  | three months | 
| highest number of drinks on one occasion |  | 3 months |