Text Messaging Strategies for Excessive Alcohol Consumption

Overseen By Tina L Boothe, MPH

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Virginia

Disqualifiers: Under 18, Not in specified groups

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 61

Duration: 1 week

3000 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to enhance alcohol interventions for Air Force Airmen by testing whether automated, timely text messages can reduce binge drinking and related incidents. The study compares two groups: one receiving a standard brief alcohol intervention and another receiving the same intervention plus personalized text messages (Automated and Tailored Text Messages). These texts are sent when Airmen first gain access to alcohol, aiming to decrease risky drinking behaviors. The trial seeks Airmen in specific USAF Technical Training groups who can receive texts and understand English.

As an unphased trial, this study offers Airmen the opportunity to contribute to innovative research that could improve health interventions.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It focuses on text messaging interventions for alcohol consumption.

What prior data suggests that these text messaging strategies are safe for reducing alcohol consumption?

Research shows that using text messages to help reduce alcohol use is generally safe and well-received. Studies have found that these messages can help adults drink less without causing negative effects. One study found that daily automated text messages helped heavy drinkers reduce their consumption. This suggests that receiving supportive messages on a phone can effectively manage alcohol use, with no known risks reported in these studies.

Overall, evidence suggests that text messaging is a safe method for those wanting to reduce their alcohol intake. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the use of text messaging strategies for addressing excessive alcohol consumption because this approach offers a unique, tech-savvy method for ongoing support. Unlike traditional methods like in-person counseling or group sessions, automated and tailored text messages can provide continuous, personalized reminders and encouragement directly to individuals' phones, helping to reinforce positive behaviors in real-time. This method is particularly appealing because it can be seamlessly integrated into daily life, offering a discreet and consistent touchpoint for individuals seeking to moderate their drinking habits.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for reducing excessive alcohol consumption?

Research shows that text messaging can help people reduce alcohol consumption. For example, one study found that text messages assisted adults who wanted to cut down on drinking. Another study discovered that daily automated text messages helped individuals with drinking problems drink less. Additionally, personalized text messages sent when people are likely to drink reduced instances of drinking and driving. In this trial, participants in one arm will receive the Brief Alcohol Intervention (BAI) alone, while those in another arm will receive BAI combined with automated text messages. These findings suggest that combining text messages with traditional methods like BAI could be more effective, particularly in settings such as the military. ^{2 3 4 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Kara P Wiseman, MPH, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Virginia

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for young adult Airmen in the US Air Force who are at risk of problematic drinking and have not faced severe alcohol-related legal issues. They must be willing to receive text messages and participate in surveys while maintaining anonymity.

Inclusion Criteria

Must be a United States Air Force Technical Training student in one of the following training groups or wings: 37th Training Wing, 81st Training Wing, 82nd Training Wing, or 59th Training Group

Must be able to understand English

Must be able to receive text messages

Exclusion Criteria

Not in the specified Technical Training groups or wings

I am under 18 years old.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive the Brief Alcohol Intervention (BAI) during the 4th week of Technical Training, with additional automated text messages for the experimental group.

1 week

1 session (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment using repeated anonymous surveys.

6 months

Surveys at 60 days and 6 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Automated and Tailored Text Messages

Trial Overview The study tests if automated, tailored text messages can enhance a Brief Alcohol Intervention (BAI) to prevent binge drinking among Airmen. Participants will either receive the standard BAI or BAI plus these targeted texts, with follow-up assessments up to six months post-training.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: BAI + Texting Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Those assigned to this arm will receive the same BAI as the other arm with the addition of automated text messages.

Group II: Brief Alcohol Intervention Placebo Group 1 Intervention

Those assigned to the BAI condition receive the standard BAI, which we have conducted since 2010, during the 4th week of Technical Training, the last week of enforced abstinence. This BAI has become the de-facto standard of care and is part of USAF Training. The BAI is a group-based, one-hour session which includes the following components: Interactive discussion of the positives and negatives of drinking during training and heavy vs. moderate drinking; Discussion of USAF rules on alcohol use and penalties for violations; Discussion of impact of alcohol on military readiness; effects of alcohol and hangover on performance; Review of standard drinks, blood alcohol levels and tolerance; and normative feedback on the Airmen's drinking level compared to others. We will engage in a conversation about whether they have observed concerning patterns of alcohol misuse among other USAF personnel, and how to handle this, along with harm reduction and alcohol refusal strategies.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Virginia

Lead Sponsor

Trials

802

Recruited

1,342,000+

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Collaborator

Trials

865

Recruited

1,091,000+

University of Memphis

Collaborator

Trials

73

Recruited

12,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A 1-year SMS intervention significantly reduced heavy drinking among 462 patients with alcohol dependence after detoxification, with 22.2% in the intervention group compared to 32.3% in the treatment as usual group.

The SMS intervention showed an odds ratio of 1.68 for reducing heavy drinking, indicating it was effective in promoting better drinking outcomes compared to standard treatment alone.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effect of a 1-year short message service in detoxified alcohol-dependent patients: a multi-center, open-label randomized controlled trial. Lucht, M., Quellmalz, A., Mende, M., et al.[2021]

A meta-analysis of studies published between 2010 and 2018 found that mobile phone text messaging interventions were not effective in reducing alcohol intake among youth and younger adults.

The analysis included randomized control trials and pre-post studies that focused on problem drinking criteria set by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Effectiveness of Mobile Phone-Based Text Messaging to Intervene with Problem Drinking in Youth and Younger Adult Population: A Meta-Analysis. Bastola, MM., Locatis, C., Maisiak, R., et al.[2021]

Parents of overweight and obese children generally find text messaging a promising and acceptable method to support healthy behavior changes, preferring it over traditional communication methods like paper or email.

The study revealed that parents would appreciate receiving text messages 2-3 times a week, especially if the messages are endorsed by their child's doctor and include personalized, actionable strategies for behavior change.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Leveraging text messaging and mobile technology to support pediatric obesity-related behavior change: a qualitative study using parent focus groups and interviews. Sharifi, M., Dryden, EM., Horan, CM., et al.[2021]

The TRAC intervention, which uses SMS text messaging to help reduce heavy drinking, was found to be effective and well-received by young adults aged 18-25, based on focus group discussions with 18 participants.

Key themes identified included the importance of ease of use, comfort and confidentiality, increased awareness of drinking behavior, and accountability, suggesting that enhancing personalization and engagement could further optimize the intervention.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Optimizing a Text Message Intervention to Reduce Heavy Drinking in Young Adults: Focus Group Findings. Suffoletto, B., Kristan, J., Person Mecca, L., et al.[2018]

In a study of 54 participants with depression and alcohol use disorder, those receiving supportive text messages showed significantly lower depression scores after three months compared to the control group, indicating improved mood.

While the text message group also tended to have longer periods of abstinence from alcohol, the difference was not statistically significant, suggesting that supportive messaging may help but further research is needed.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Supportive text messaging for depression and comorbid alcohol use disorder: single-blind randomised trial. Agyapong, VI., Ahern, S., McLoughlin, DM., et al.[2022]

In a 12-week pilot study with 152 participants, daily remote text messaging interventions significantly reduced alcohol consumption and heavy drinking days compared to weekly self-tracking messages, indicating their potential as effective stand-alone tools for problem drinkers.

Among the different types of messages tested, tailored adaptive texts showed the largest effect sizes in reducing drinking frequency and quantity, suggesting that personalized messaging may enhance the effectiveness of alcohol reduction strategies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial of Different Mobile Messaging Interventions for Problem Drinking Compared to Weekly Drink Tracking. Muench, F., van Stolk-Cooke, K., Kuerbis, A., et al.[2022]

This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effectiveness of text messaging interventions in reducing alcohol consumption among harmful drinkers, addressing a gap in existing research that has primarily focused on web-based interventions.

The study will assess key outcomes such as weekly alcohol consumption and frequency of heavy drinking, using rigorous methods to ensure the quality of evidence, which could provide valuable insights for health practitioners and policymakers.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Text Messaging Interventions for Reducing Alcohol Consumption Among Harmful and Hazardous Drinkers: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Bendtsen, M.[2020]

Text messaging (SMS) is a highly effective and personal way to deliver behavioral health interventions remotely, leveraging the widespread use of cell phones globally.

Current studies indicate that SMS interventions can successfully promote healthy behaviors and may be more effective than other computerized methods, highlighting the need for future research to optimize SMS features for individual user engagement.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Text Message Behavioral Interventions: From Here to Where? Suffoletto, B.[2022]

The TRAC2 text message intervention effectively engaged nontreatment-seeking young adults, with an average response rate of 82% to ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) during the first 4-week block, indicating strong participant involvement.

Participants showed high commitment to drinking limit goals (96% commitment rate) and achieved their goals 89% of the time, suggesting that the intervention successfully supported self-regulation and reduced alcohol consumption over a 3-month follow-up period.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Text Message Intervention with Adaptive Goal Support to Reduce Alcohol Consumption Among Non-Treatment-Seeking Young Adults: Non-Randomized Clinical Trial with Voluntary Length of Enrollment. Suffoletto, B., Chung, T., Muench, F., et al.[2020]

An automated text messaging system was tested with 39 adolescents and young adults in a pilot study, showing high feasibility with 63% enrollment and 89.7% retention after baseline assessments.

Participants reported a positive experience with the text messages, especially those that were supportive and empowering, indicating that text messaging can effectively complement substance use interventions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Text message reminders as an adjunct to a substance use intervention for adolescents and young adults: Pilot feasibility and acceptability findings. Schwebel, FJ., Larimer, ME.[2022]

A study involving 59 patients with alcohol use disorder showed that supportive text messaging after treatment can significantly extend the time before a patient has their first drink, with the intervention group averaging about 60 days compared to 26 days for the control group.

The text messaging intervention also demonstrated small to moderate improvements in cumulative abstinence duration and alcohol consumption, indicating it could be a valuable follow-up care tool for patients after residential treatment.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Randomized controlled pilot trial of supportive text messaging for alcohol use disorder patients. Agyapong, VIO., Juhás, M., Mrklas, K., et al.[2019]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11892540/

Text Messaging Interventions for Unhealthy Alcohol Use in ... Further, SMS text messaging interventions have been shown to improve patient outcomes related to alcohol consumption (eg, reduced consumption ...

2. onlinelibrary.wiley.com onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/add.16391

Automated, tailored adaptive mobile messaging to reduce ... Aims To test differential outcomes between three 6-month text-messaging interventions to reduce at-risk drinking in help-seeking adults.

3. mhealth.jmir.org mhealth.jmir.org/2018/6/e146/

Effectiveness of a Text Messaging–Based Intervention ... The primary outcome was total weekly alcohol consumption. Secondary outcomes were frequency of heavy episodic drinking, highest estimated blood ...

4. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2949875925001584

Telehealth & Text Interventions for At-Risk Drinkers Pilot Study This pilot study tested the feasibility and efficacy of two digital alcohol interventions for at-risk drinkers. •. Participants selected Text Support (adaptive ...

5. journals.plos.org journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0167900

A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial of Different Mobile ... Results of this pilot study indicate that remote automated text messages delivered daily can help adult problem drinkers reduce drinking ...

6. formative.jmir.org formative.jmir.org/2025/1/e65187

Text Messaging Interventions for Unhealthy Alcohol Use in ... Further, SMS text messaging interventions have been shown to improve patient outcomes related to alcohol consumption (eg, reduced consumption ...

7. recoveryanswers.org recoveryanswers.org/research-post/identifying-helpful-texting-strategies-reduce-alcohol-use-young-adults/

Identifying helpful text message strategies to reduce ... This study's findings suggest that long-term feedback via text messages can help reduce alcohol use and its related consequences. However, further research ...