Text Message Intervention for Underage Alcohol Use

Overseen By Joseph LaBrie, Ph.D.

Age: < 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Loyola Marymount University

Disqualifiers: Not LMU student, No text access, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

300 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Digitally Prompted Parenting for underage alcohol use?

Research shows that text messaging interventions can be effective in reducing alcohol consumption among young people, as they are an acceptable and affordable way to deliver health messages. Additionally, technology-assisted interventions for parents, which include text messages, have been found feasible and acceptable in improving outcomes for adolescents with substance use issues. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is text messaging intervention safe for addressing alcohol use?

Text messaging interventions have been used safely in various studies to address alcohol use in different groups, including adolescents and postpartum women, without reported safety concerns. ^{1 4 6 7 8}

How does the Digitally Prompted Parenting treatment differ from other treatments for underage alcohol use?

Digitally Prompted Parenting is unique because it uses text messaging to engage parents in real-time, providing immediate feedback and tips to support behavior change in their children. This approach leverages the common use of text messaging among parents and offers a discreet, accessible way to address underage alcohol use without the stigma associated with traditional treatments. ^{3 4 5 7 9}

What is the purpose of this trial?

This pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) will evaluate both the feasibility and efficacy of Digitally Prompted Parenting (DPP), a text-message based parent intervention (tm-PBI) designed to prevent and reduce alcohol use among first-year college students. In this study, parents of incoming first-year students will receive risk-reducing text messages during the first 10 weeks of the Fall semester, which they can forward to their students. The trial uses a longitudinal design to compare drinking outcomes between students whose parents receive the DPP messages and those whose parents receive an established alcohol PBI (the active control condition). The investigators hypothesize that students in the DPP group will report lower levels of alcohol use and fewer alcohol-related consequences after the intervention compared to those in the active control group.

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for parents of incoming first-year college students. It aims to involve them in preventing and reducing their child's alcohol use by sending risk-reducing text messages that they can forward to their student during the initial weeks of college.

Inclusion Criteria

Student is an LMU incoming first-year college student

Student has access to a cellular device capable of receiving text messages

Student's parent or legal guardian has an email address on file at LMU

Exclusion Criteria

Student's parent or legal guardian does not have an email address on file at LMU

Student's parent or legal guardian did not receive an invitation from the research team to participate

Student's parent or legal guardian is not a resident of the United States

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Parents receive risk-reducing text messages during the first 10 weeks of the Fall semester, which they can forward to their students.

10 weeks

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in alcohol use and related consequences.

6 months

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Digitally Prompted Parenting

Trial Overview The study tests Digitally Prompted Parenting (DPP), a program where parents receive texts about reducing alcohol risks, against an established parent-based intervention. The goal is to see if DPP leads to lower alcohol use in students compared with the control group over the first semester.

Participant Groups

Group I: Digitally Prompted Parenting Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Parents of participating first-year college students in this intervention arm will receive a series of prewritten text messages during the first 10 weeks of college. Parents can personalize these messages before sending them directly to their student, who is the study participant, with the goal of reducing alcohol-related risks.

Group II: Active Control Active Control 1 Intervention

Parents of participating first-year college students in this arm of the study will receive access to the Parent Handbook during the summer before matriculation and three booster emails that summarize its key points after matriculation.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Loyola Marymount University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

9

Recruited

8,800+

Findings from Research

The study is testing a technology-assisted intervention called Parenting Wisely+ (PW+) for parents of adolescents in residential substance use disorder treatment, aiming to improve post-discharge outcomes for these adolescents.

In a randomized pilot trial with 60 parents, the researchers will assess the feasibility and acceptability of PW+, as well as its impact on adolescent behaviors like substance use and truancy, potentially enhancing parental engagement and parenting practices that influence recovery.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Technology-assisted intervention for parents of adolescents in residential substance use treatment: protocol of an open trial and pilot randomized trial. Becker, SJ., Hernandez, L., Spirito, A., et al.[2023]

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]

An interactive text messaging campaign was developed for 160 parents to support behavior change in their children as part of a childhood obesity trial, with 1-2 messages sent weekly over a year.

The intervention showed high engagement, with nearly two-thirds of parents responding to 75% or more of the text messages, indicating that text messaging is an effective tool for promoting health behavior changes among parents.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Development and Implementation of an Interactive Text Messaging Campaign to Support Behavior Change in a Childhood Obesity Randomized Controlled Trial. Price, S., Ferisin, S., Sharifi, M., et al.[2022]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Efficacy of a web- and text messaging-based intervention to reduce problem drinking in adolescents: Results of a cluster-randomized controlled trial. [2022]

2. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Technology-assisted intervention for parents of adolescents in residential substance use treatment: protocol of an open trial and pilot randomized trial. [2023]

3. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

mHealth Interventions to Reduce Alcohol Use in Young People: A Systematic Review of the Literature. [2020]

4. Canada pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adaptive Text Messaging for Postpartum Risky Drinking: Conceptual Model and Protocol for an Ecological Momentary Assessment Study. [2022]

5. United States 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. [2021]

6. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Feasibility of using text messaging for unhealthy behaviors screening in a clinical setting: a case study on adolescent hazardous alcohol use. [2021]

7. Australia pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Postpartum heavy episodic drinking: A survey to inform development of a text messaging intervention. [2023]

8. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Automated, tailored adaptive mobile messaging to reduce alcohol consumption in help-seeking adults: A randomized controlled trial. [2023]

9. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Development and Implementation of an Interactive Text Messaging Campaign to Support Behavior Change in a Childhood Obesity Randomized Controlled Trial. [2022]