Text Messaging to Reduce High-risk Alcohol Use Among Older Adults
- Conditions
- Hazardous Alcohol Use
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Text messaging
- Registration Number
- NCT06319885
- Lead Sponsor
- University of Southern Denmark
- Brief Summary
High-risk drinking is very prevalent among Danes aged 55+. It poses a serious risk to health and independent living, burdening health care systems and family members. Measures to reduce high-risk alcohol use in this growing group at need are urgently needed. A recent small study from the US shows that text messaging reduces high-risk alcohol intake in older adults. The investigators will conduct a pilot study with the same intervention in Denmark, with adaptations to language and culture. The pilot study will investigate among Danish older adults whether text messaging is well-accepted by participants and feasible in terms of reducing 1) high-risk drinking and 2) commonly accompanying problems with daily functioning, social relationships, and mental and physical health. The pilot-trial will include n=60 adults aged 55-80 years who will receive alcohol-related text messages (within a secure app for data protection purposes) over 12 weeks. Assessments will include a baseline assessment and a post-assessment.
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 60
- consumption of > 10 standard drinks á 12 gram ethanol per week (i.e., high-risk alcohol use defined by the Danish Health Authority) in the past four weeks
- desire to reduce drinking
- age 55 to 80 years
- mobile phone ownership and willingness to receive and respond to text messages
- fluency in Danish.
- drinking more than 53 standard drinks per week in the last four weeks
- past 12 month alcohol withdrawal symptoms or lifetime history of serious withdrawal symptoms (e.g., seizures)
- score above 12 on the Short alcohol withdrawal scale; SAWS
- possible drug dependence (i.e., use of illegal drugs or psychotropic medication taken without prescription more than once a month)
- indication of serious psychiatric illness (lifetime diagnosis of psychosis or bipolar disorder, inpatient treatment or medication for these, recent suicidality)
- current alcohol/drug abuse treatment or a desire to start alcohol/drug abuse treatment during the study
- medical condition that requires abstinence from alcohol
- wish to achieve abstinence (applied to secure a focus on reduction)
- lack of understanding of study protocol or reading difficulty as evidenced by a score of less than 7 out of 10 on the consent form quiz.
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Gain-framed Text messaging One daily text-message and weekly alcohol use assessment. The text-messages focus on the positive consequences of drinking less. Adaptive-tailored Text messaging One daily text-message and weekly alcohol use assessment. The text-messages are adapted to the participant's gender and to baseline information on (e.g.) participants' drinking patterns, social network, and self-efficacy. One message per week is adapted to the day on which the participants find it most challenging to reduce their drinking. In addition, text messages are adapted to the weekly alcohol-assessment over time and participants can demand supportive Just-In-Time messages. Combined Text messaging This arm combines all features of the arms Adaptive-tailored and Gain-framed. Loss-framed Text messaging One daily text-message and weekly alcohol use assessment. The text-messages focus on the negative consequences of a high alcohol-intake. Static-tailored Text messaging One daily text-message and weekly alcohol use assessment. The text-messages are adapted to the participant's gender and to baseline information on (e.g.) participants' drinking patterns, social network, and self-efficacy. One message per week is adapted to the day on which the participants find it most challenging to reduce their drinking.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method High-risk alcohol use (yes/no) Assessed at 12 weeks after baseline, alcohol use through the past seven days Drinking over 120 gram ethanol in seven days (determined by outcomes 4 \& 5 )
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method WHOQOL-Bref (The World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version ) Assessed at 12 weeks after baseline Quality of life, functioning. Higher scores represent higher quality of life.
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DRINKING SCALE (OCDS) Through the past seven days, assessed at 12 weeks after baseline Degree of compulsive alcohol use, with higher scores representing a higher degree
Amount of alcohol use Assessed at 12 weeks after baseline, alcohol use through the past seven days Measured in standard drinks with one drink equivalent to 12 gram pure ethanol
Heavy drinking days Assessed at 12 weeks after baseline, alcohol use through the past seven days Count, number of days with 5 or more standard drinks
Drinker Inventory of Consequences (DrInC-2R) Through the past 14 days, assessed at 12 weeks after baseline Consequences of drinking, a higher score represents greater consequences
Frequency of alcohol use Assessed at 12 weeks after baseline, alcohol use through the past seven days Measured in number of days
User evaluation (tailor-made) Assessed at 12 weeks after baseline, through 12 weeks (the intervention period) Subjective evaluation of user-friendliness, quality of the messages, and cultural adaptation (participants rate the intervention on a scale from 0= do not agree at all through 6= fully agree). Participants also tick off boxes for simple questions on other help received in the study period and on their impressions of the language and cultural appropriateness.
PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 ) Assessed at 12 weeks after baseline, through the past 14 days A higher score represents a greater degree of depressive symptoms
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
University of Southern Denmark, Department of Psychology
🇩🇰Odense, Southern Denmark, Denmark