Social Facilitation of Alcohol Effects and Alcohol Misuse in Young Adults

Not Applicable

Not yet recruiting

• Conditions: Alcohol Consumption; Alcohol Abuse/Dependence
• Interventions: Drug: Alcohol (Oral)

• Registration Number: NCT06627803
• Lead Sponsor: University of Southern California

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to understand social contexts and alcohol use. We hope to learn how being around peers affects alcohol consumption in young adults. About 250 young adults who drink alcohol frequently will take part in the study. This research is being funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

Participation involves one in-person screening session with a same-sex platonic friend. Then participants will complete four in-person laboratory sessions where they will drink beverages containing alcohol or no alcohol. After completion of the laboratory sessions, participants will complete smartphone surveys for 28 days. Lastly, they will complete follow-up surveys 6 months and 12 months post-study enrollment.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Status Verified: 2024-10
• Study First Submitted: 2024-10-02
• Study First Submitted QC: 2024-10-02
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-10-02
• Study First Posted: 2024-10-04
• Last Update Posted: 2024-10-04
• Study Start: 2025-02
• Primary Completion: 2028-09
• Study Completion: 2028-09

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 250

Inclusion Criteria

• 21-28 years of age
• Drink regularly (1+ times/week) with a same-sex platonic friend that also meets eligibility and is willing to participate
• Regular alcohol use (3+ times/week) with at least one binge drinking episode (5+ drinks [male] or 4+ drinks [female] in about 2 hours) in the past month
• BMI of 18-30
• Own a smart device operating on the iOS or Android operating system
• Fluent in English

Exclusion Criteria

• Pregnancy or breastfeeding or intent to get pregnant in the next 60 days (females)
• medical conditions counter-indicated for alcohol administration
• seeking treatment for alcohol use

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Laboratory alcohol administration with longitudinal follow-ups	Alcohol (Oral)	All participants will be in this single arm, which consists on behavioral testing of alcohol administration in the lab, followed by longitudinal follow-ups using Ecological Momentary Assessment and surveys.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Drug Effect Questionnaire (DEQ)	The DEQ will be assessed 30 minutes before alcohol administration, and again 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 240 minutes after alcohol administration during each session.	The Drug Effects Questionnaire (DEQ), a 5-item visual analog questionnaire (0 to 100 mm; not at all to extremely), will be used to assess the extent to which participants experience the effects of the drug: "feel drug," "feel high," "like drug," "dislike drug," and "want more".
Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale (BAES)	The BAES will be assessed 30 minutes before alcohol administration, and again 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 240 minutes after alcohol administration during each session.	The Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale (BAES) is a 14-item survey that instructs individuals to rate the extent to which drinking alcohol has produced related subjective effects (0=not at all to 10=extremely). This questionnaire has two subscales consisting of mean scores related to sedation and stimulation.
Quantity of Alcohol Use during Ecological Momentary Assessment	Quantity of Alcohol Use will be assessed daily for 28 days.	Quantity of alcohol use will be the number of drinks reported each day during the Ecological Momentary Assessment period. Number of drinks reported will be recoded to create two binary variables alcohol use (alcohol use \[1+ drinks\], no alcohol \[0\]) and binge drinking (binge \[female: 4+ drinks; male: 5+ drinks\], no binge (female: \<4 drinks; male\<5 drinks\]).
Past 30-day Alcohol Use during Follow-Up	Past 30-day alcohol use will be assessed 6 and 12 months after the initial laboratory sessions.	Past 30-day alcohol use (including number of drinks and binge drinking) will be assessed using the timeline follow-back method.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)	The PANAS will be assessed 30 minutes before alcohol administration, and again 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 240 minutes after alcohol administration during each session.	The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) is a well-validated brief scale comprised of 20 items meas-uring positive affect (e.g., excited, inspired) and negative affect (e.g., upset, afraid) in the moment. Each item is rated on a five-point Likert Scale, ranging from 1 = Very Slightly or Not at all to 5 = Extremely).
Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (YAACQ) during Ecological Momentary Assessment	The YAACQ will be completed daily for 28 days.	The validated Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (YAACQ) is a 24-item measure assessing negative alcohol-related consequences. Summary scores are the sum of all items.
Past 30-day Alcohol Consequences during Follow-Up	Past 30-day alcohol consequences will be assessed at 6 and 12 months following the initial laboratory sessions.	Past 30-day alcohol consequences will be assessed using the validated Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (YAACQ), a 24-item measure assessing negative alcohol-related consequences. Summary scores are the sum of all items.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Southern California; 🇺🇸 Los Angeles, California, United States