Online Education Hubs and Chat-based Text Messaging for Reducing Alcohol Consumption and Binge Drinking in Adolescents: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Online platform hub and mHealth Text Messaging, Self-help material.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Teen Drinking. Basic parameters: 12 years — 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Hong Kong
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
Chat-based Text Messaging and Online Education Hubs for Reducing Alcohol Consumption and Binge Drinking in Adolescents: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Overview
Online education hubs and Chat-based text messaging for reducing alcohol consumption and binge drinking in adolescents: A pilot randomized controlled trial
Detailed description
It is urged to alleviate the problem before it become worse. Department of Health in Hong Kong developed 3 information hubs (Alcohol Fails, Young and Alcohol Free and Understanding Alcohol Harm) to distribute alcohol-related messages, such as binge drinking. Yet, it lacks interactive and individualized elements, which makes it difficult to attract secondary school students to search for information. Our previous research also reveals that more than 80% of the respondents are willing to receive message reminders for controlling or avoiding binge drinking. They also suggest that those messages should include drinking limits, health risks, psychological support, and alternative activities. It proves that an interactive and personalized intervention package should be included in secondary school in terms of binge drinking prevention. This could be a research gap to investigate in this project.
We expect that this study result would demonstrate the main effects of the interventions, including mHealth text messaging, and online platform hub. By analyzing those intervention results, we could deeply understand the effective methods to lower the risk of young adult binge drinking phenomenon. We could provide more precise interventions to secondary school students. This study will also prepare for future RCTs to explore the possibility on the integration of other intervention components or factors for binge drinking prevention research. In the long run, the proportion of binge drinking in population and young-aged will be lowered. Department of Health or other future research could implement this intervention as a fundamental to enhance the effectiveness of the alcohol control intervention.
A pilot 2-arm, parallel, open-labelled randomized controlled trial randomly allocated participants (1:1 ratio) to intervention and control groups. The intervention group has 2 intervention components: (1) Online information hub (compulsory: game), (2) mHealth text messaging at last to people who needed (Audit score \>7). The control group will receive self-help materials during the same period. The sample size is 100 participants (50 for each group).
100 ever-drinkers will be recruited from the secondary schools through online and offline. Study information will be disseminated via online advertisements, mass emails, and in-person interactions at schools in various districts, including New Territories, Kowloon, and Hong Kong Island. Interested participants can enroll by completing an online application form using Qualtrics or Google form).
During offline recruitment sessions, staff will approach secondary school students and their parents (if the participants are under 18 years old) to obtain consent and have them complete a baseline questionnaire for further contact and intervention delivery.
Interventions
- Behavioral Online platform hub and mHealth Text Messaging
The treatment package includes both optional and mandatory treatments. The mandatory treatments consist of mHealth text messaging and an online platform hub. We have developed a game which educates teenagers about alcohol reduction and promotes awareness of alcohol-related harm. Designed to be both engaging and informative, the game uses real-life scenarios, interactive storytelling, and decision-based gameplay to help young people understand the risks of excessive drinking. Also, participants w - Behavioral Self-help material
Self-help material like leaflet is a common method used in preventing teenage Drinking.
Primary outcome measures
- Number of drinking days [Time frame: 3-month follow-up]
Secondary outcome measures (4)
- Number of ever binge drinking days [Time frame: 3-month follow-up]
- Number of binge drinking days [Time frame: 3-month follow-up]
- Intention to reduce or quit alcohol drinking [Time frame: 3-month follow-up]
- Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test [Time frame: 3-month follow-up]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- being a Hong Kong resident aged between 12-18 years;
- having consumed alcohol in the past 12-month;
- Using WhatsApp in their cell phone.
Exclusion criteria
- cannot communicate in Cantonese or read Chinese;
- currently using other alcohol control programs.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
Study locations
Hong Kong · 2 centers
- Hong Kong — Hong Kong
- Hong Kong — Hong Kong
Publications
- Garnett CV, Crane D, Brown J, Kaner EFS, Beyer FR, Muirhead CR, Hickman M, Beard E, Redmore J, de Vocht F, Michie S. Behavior Change Techniques Used in Digital Behavior Change Interventions to Reduce Excessive Alcohol Consumption: A Meta-regression. Ann Behav Med. 2018 May 18;52(6):530-543. doi: 10.1093/abm/kax029. PMID 29788261
- Wang H, Hu R, Zhong J, Du H, Fiona B, Wang M, Yu M. Binge drinking and associated factors among school students: a cross-sectional study in Zhejiang Province, China. BMJ Open. 2018 Apr 12;8(4):e021077. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-021077. PMID 29654047
- Ho DSY, Huang R, Wang MP, Lo WS, Lam TH. Adolescent alcohol drinking in Hong Kong: a school-based survey. Hong Kong Med J. 2019 Feb;25 Suppl 3(1):13-15. No abstract available. PMID 30792366
- Silveri MM. Adolescent brain development and underage drinking in the United States: identifying risks of alcohol use in college populations. Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2012 Jul-Aug;20(4):189-200. doi: 10.3109/10673229.2012.714642. PMID 22894728
- Hunt WA. Are binge drinkers more at risk of developing brain damage? Alcohol. 1993 Nov-Dec;10(6):559-61. doi: 10.1016/0741-8329(93)90083-z. PMID 8123218
- Zeigler DW, Wang CC, Yoast RA, Dickinson BD, McCaffree MA, Robinowitz CB, Sterling ML; Council on Scientific Affairs, American Medical Association. The neurocognitive effects of alcohol on adolescents and college students. Prev Med. 2005 Jan;40(1):23-32. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2004.04.044. PMID 15530577
- Paljarvi T, Koskenvuo M, Poikolainen K, Kauhanen J, Sillanmaki L, Makela P. Binge drinking and depressive symptoms: a 5-year population-based cohort study. Addiction. 2009 Jul;104(7):1168-78. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02577.x. Epub 2009 May 11. PMID 19438420
- Dahl RE. Adolescent brain development: a period of vulnerabilities and opportunities. Keynote address. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2004 Jun;1021:1-22. doi: 10.1196/annals.1308.001. PMID 15251869
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07143565 · knowledgehub