Barbershop Talk: Reducing Excessive Alcohol Consumption Among Men

Not Applicable

Recruiting

• Conditions: Drinking Behavior; Drinking; Drinking Excessive

• Registration Number: NCT05609344
• Lead Sponsor: University of Arkansas

Brief Summary

Unhealthy drinking is considered one of the top 10 public health concerns in the United States. Not only has heavy drinking been linked to poorer overall health and the chances of getting cancer and cardiovascular diseases, but it also causes about 88,000 deaths and 2.5 million years of potential life lost each year in the U.S. Men living in rural areas tend to drink more. In Arkansas, a rural state with high rates of unhealthy drinking, men are more likely to report heavy drinking (4 or more drinks a day) and to drink more when binge drinking. Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is an evidence-based, multilevel, integrated public health approach for early intervention and timely referral to more intensive treatment for those with substance use disorders. SBIRTs have been successfully used in primary care and emergency settings.

However, men in rural areas may lack access to evidence-based care for unhealthy drinking due to many factors, including limited healthcare providers and insurance standing. Given the increased chances of death and illness linked to harmful drinking among rural men and the serious health consequences involved, it is urgent to improve access to evidence-based care. This can be achieved by expanding services into community settings that men in rural areas are more likely to visit, such as barbershops. Thus, the goals of this proposed Hybrid Type 2 pragmatic effectiveness-implementation trial are to: 1) test the effectiveness of an evidence-based SBIRT intervention for use within barbershops (Barbershop Talk); and 2) generate the scientific evidence needed to implement SBIRTs in "real world" settings. Data from this study will further our understanding of how to reduce the chances of experiencing alcohol attributable morbidity and mortality among men living in rural areas. Data will also enhance our understanding of strategies that can improve the implementation of evidence-based care models in non-clinical settings, thereby extending the reach of evidence-based care to rural communities with high needs.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2022-10-17
• Study First Submitted QC: 2022-11-01
• Study First Posted: 2022-11-08
• Study Start: 2023-06-26
• Status Verified: 2025-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-08-05
• Last Update Posted: 2025-08-11
• Primary Completion: 2027-07-31
• Study Completion: 2027-07-31

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: Male
• Target Recruitment: 600

Inclusion Criteria

• male
• aged 18 or older
• resident of Arkansas

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: CROSSOVER

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Alcohol Use - number of unhealthy drinking days	3 months	At-risk drinking behavior measured as: number of unhealthy drinking days
Healthcare Utilization	6 months	Number of subjects who have utilized healthcare services
Alcohol Use - total number of drinking days	6 months	At-risk drinking behavior measured as: number of drinking days
Alcohol Use - total number of unhealthy drinking days	6 months	At-risk drinking behavior measured as: number of unhealthy drinking days
Mental Health - depression	6 months	The PHQ-9 is the depression module of the Patient Health Questionnaire (a diagnostic instrument for common mental disorders), which scores each of the 9 DSM-IV criteria as "0" (not at all) to "3" (nearly every day). The PHQ9 will be used for this outcome.
Mental Health - Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)	6 months	Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL5)
Social Support	6 months	Family, friend, and partner support (number of people in support network)

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

UAMS; 🇺🇸 Little Rock, Arkansas, United States