Prevention of Alcohol Related Incidents in the US Air Force

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Alcohol Abuse
• Interventions: Behavioral: Group Brief Alcohol Intervention; Behavioral: Group Brief Alcohol Intervention Booster; Behavioral: Bystander Intervention

• Registration Number: NCT01398319
• Lead Sponsor: University of Virginia

Brief Summary

Alcohol misuse poses significant public health concerns in the U.S. military. A Brief Alcohol Intervention (BAI) have been shown to reduce alcohol related incidents among Airmen undergoing training. The current study sought to examine whether a booster BAI administered at the end of an Airmen's training reduced alcohol related incidents out to a one-year follow-up. Participants were 26,231 US Air Force Technical Trainees recruited between March 2016 and July 2018. Participants were cluster randomized by cohort to two conditions: BAI + BAI Booster or BAI + Bystander Intervention. The primary analysis was a comparison of the interventions' efficacies in preventing Article 15 alcohol related incidents at a one-year follow-up, conducted using a generalized estimating equations logistic regression model controlling for covariates.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2011-07-11
• Study First Submitted QC: 2011-07-18
• Study First Posted: 2011-07-20
• Study Start: 2016-03-01
• Primary Completion: 2018-07-31
• Study Completion: 2018-07-31
• Status Verified: 2022-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-05-20
• Last Update Posted: 2022-05-26

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 26231

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Group Brief Alcohol Booster Intervention	Group Brief Alcohol Intervention Booster	The 1-hour booster intervention was delivered using MI to extend the effective elements found in the original BAI intervention with elements from behavioral economic theory. A behavioral economic approach to alcohol use suggests that decisions to drink are more likely when 1) there is a lack of access to or engagement in alternative alcohol-free reinforcing activities, and 2) there is a greater relative focus on immediate, relative to delayed, rewards (i.e., steep delayed reward discounting). The intent of the intervention is to bring important long-term goals into the present so that the immediate awareness of this goal might diminish the relative benefit of drinking. Another goal was to have the Airmen identify enjoyable and goal-consistent alcohol-free activities they could engage in during their free time. The booster also included a reminder of the U.S. Air Forces rules and policies on alcohol use and harm reduction drinking strategies.
Bystander Intervention	Bystander Intervention	The 1-hour Bystander intervention was a non-alcohol related briefing that served as the control condition. The intervention focused on increasing Airmen's awareness of the qualities of being a good "wingman" (e.g., watching for their peers) and how those are tied to the Air Force Core Values. It aimed to increase participants' perceived responsibility to act in certain situations. The intervention draws on the philosophy that members in a community have a role in shifting social norms to prevent violence. While the intervention did not directly discuss alcohol use, the focus on military values and taking responsibility for one's self and others could contribute to healthier drinking-related choices.
Group Brief Alcohol Booster Intervention	Group Brief Alcohol Intervention	The 1-hour booster intervention was delivered using MI to extend the effective elements found in the original BAI intervention with elements from behavioral economic theory. A behavioral economic approach to alcohol use suggests that decisions to drink are more likely when 1) there is a lack of access to or engagement in alternative alcohol-free reinforcing activities, and 2) there is a greater relative focus on immediate, relative to delayed, rewards (i.e., steep delayed reward discounting). The intent of the intervention is to bring important long-term goals into the present so that the immediate awareness of this goal might diminish the relative benefit of drinking. Another goal was to have the Airmen identify enjoyable and goal-consistent alcohol-free activities they could engage in during their free time. The booster also included a reminder of the U.S. Air Forces rules and policies on alcohol use and harm reduction drinking strategies.
Bystander Intervention	Group Brief Alcohol Intervention	The 1-hour Bystander intervention was a non-alcohol related briefing that served as the control condition. The intervention focused on increasing Airmen's awareness of the qualities of being a good "wingman" (e.g., watching for their peers) and how those are tied to the Air Force Core Values. It aimed to increase participants' perceived responsibility to act in certain situations. The intervention draws on the philosophy that members in a community have a role in shifting social norms to prevent violence. While the intervention did not directly discuss alcohol use, the focus on military values and taking responsibility for one's self and others could contribute to healthier drinking-related choices.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Article 15s	12 months	Adjudicated alcohol related incident in the United States Air Force (Article 15). We determined if an Airmen had received an Article 15 in the year following Technical Training by searching the Automated Military Justice Analysis and Management System (AMJAMS).

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

37th Training Group; 🇺🇸 Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, United States