A Mobile-based Behavioral Economic Intervention to Reduce Young Adult Alcohol Misuse

The proposed project will develop and empirically evaluate a mobile-based alcohol brief intervention and substance-free activity session. To do this, study personnel will develop and systematically evaluate an intervention that includes efficacious elements of brief alcohol interventions along with personalized feedback. Intervention elements will be delivered remotely via personalized web-based feedback and text-messages. The proposed project will evaluate the efficacy of the mobile-based brief alcohol intervention compared to mobile-based alcohol and nutrition education in the context of a randomized pilot trial.

This research will be divided into two stages: Stage 1, the screening stage, and Stage 2, the randomized pilot trial stage. During the screening stage, participants will be recruited and screened for eligibility to participate in Stage 2. The randomized controlled trial stage (stage 2) will test the feasibility and efficacy of a mobile-based BMI + SFAS in the context of a two-group experimental design. All students (N = 100) will complete a baseline assessment and will then be randomly assigned to either receive a mobile-based BMI + SFAS, or mobile-based alcohol and nutrition education. Each group will receive 4 weeks of booster contact (1 booster session per week) on material from their respective study condition. Outcomes will be assessed after the fourth booster session and at a 3-month follow-up.

Participants will complete a brief screening survey via the SONA system or through a secure web-link sent via email or posted in flyers to identify those students who might be eligible to participate in the study. In order to be contacted about the clinical trial, respondents will be asked to provide contact information. Ads and flyers will also include study contact information for interested respondents/participants to contact study staff directly and screen for eligibility.

If the participant meets eligibility criteria, the researcher will speak with the participant via phone call to explain the project procedures and confidentiality in more detail, and allow the participant the opportunity to ask any questions they may have about the study. Text messaging and email may also be used as methods to communicate with participants who meet the eligibility criteria and will be used as the primary method of communication if the student prefers. Participants will be informed that the study is designed to learn more about college students' lifestyle and health behaviors and that the study will involve random assignment to one of two treatment conditions, along with 4 booster sessions by text-message, a post-intervention survey immediately following the 4th booster session, and a survey follow-up three months after their last booster session. If the participant expresses interest in the study, the study administrator will invite them to participate in further phases of the study. If students do not meet the eligibility criteria at the time of screening, but indicate drinking in the past 6-months, they may be contacted later and re-screened via phone, text message or email and then enrolled if interested in the study. Eligible and interested individuals will remotely read and e-sign the consent form, provide contact information, and complete the initial baseline assessment via a secure web-link.

All self-report measures will be completed by the participant via a secure, web-based survey. Prior to completing baseline measures, participants will be provided with a consent form and will be informed of the study's purpose, risks, benefits, compensation, and all other pertinent study details. Participants will be provided with a phone number and email address should they have questions and will also be informed in the consent that they can discontinue the study at any time. If participants choose not to e-sign the consent form or decide not to participate in the study at any time, they will be provided with information about college student alcohol misuse on websites, hotlines, and local resources to learn more about their drinking if they are interested. The remote web-based assessment will last approximately 30 minutes. After completing the assessment, participants will be randomized to either a) the mobile-based BMI+SFAS (mBMI+SFAS); or b) mobile-based alcohol and nutrition education (mA+NE) (both described below). Immediately following the baseline assessment and random assignment, participants will take part in a 60-minute session of either the mobile BMI or mobile Alcohol Education. Later the same week, participants will take part in either one 60-minute session of the mobile SFAS or mobile Nutrition Education. The interventionist conducting the mobile BMI or Alcohol Education earlier in the week will also conduct the mobile SFAS or Nutrition Education, respectively, as well as all booster contact. A brief 3-item survey will be administered immediately following the mobile SFAS or Nutrition Education session that will solicit initial impressions and feedback on these respective sessions.