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

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a new method to reduce alcohol use among first-year college students by sending text messages to their parents. These messages are part of the Digitally Prompted Parenting (DPP) program, which parents can customize and forward to their children. The study will compare the drinking habits of students whose parents use these texts with those whose parents follow an older method. The trial seeks first-year college students at LMU with a parent willing to participate and receive text messages. As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative approaches in reducing alcohol use among college students.

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 prior data suggests that this text message intervention is safe for underage alcohol use prevention?

Research has shown that the Digitally Prompted Parenting (DPP) program is safe. The program sends text messages to parents, who then share them with their college-age children to help reduce the risk of alcohol use. No problems have been reported from sending or receiving these messages. As this method is non-invasive and involves only communication, it is generally well-received. Previous studies have found that using text messages to maintain contact can effectively prevent increases in alcohol use without causing harm. Participants can therefore feel confident about the safety of this approach. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the "Digitally Prompted Parenting" approach because it offers a fresh, tech-savvy way to tackle underage alcohol use. Unlike standard interventions, which might rely on in-person counseling or printed materials, this method uses prewritten text messages that parents can customize and send to their college-aged children. It leverages the constant connectivity of digital communication to maintain an ongoing dialogue about alcohol risks, potentially making it more engaging and immediate. This innovative use of technology aims to empower parents and students to reduce alcohol-related risks effectively and conveniently.

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

Research has shown that staying in touch through text messages during the first few weeks of college can help prevent students from increasing their alcohol consumption. In this trial, parents in the "Digitally Prompted Parenting" arm will receive a series of prewritten text messages to send to their students, aiming to reduce alcohol-related risks. Early findings suggest that when parents use text message interventions, students who haven't started drinking are less likely to begin. Specifically, one study found that a parent-based approach reduced the chances of high school students starting to drink in their first year of college. By using text messages, parents can help lower the risks of alcohol use among college students. This method keeps students informed and supported, leading to healthier choices. ^{1 2 3 5 6}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

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 for a Trial Participant

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

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

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.

How Is the Trial Designed?

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+

Published Research Related to This Trial

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]

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]

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]

Citations

1. reporter.nih.gov reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11146654

Digitally Prompted Parenting - NIH RePORTER Findings from our lab indicate that maintaining communication during the first few weeks of college via text message can help to prevent increases in alcohol ...

2. ctv.veeva.com ctv.veeva.com/study/digitally-prompted-parenting-a-text-message-parent-based-alcohol-intervention-for-incoming-college

A Text Message Parent-Based Alcohol Intervention for ... This pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) will evaluate both the feasibility and efficacy of Digitally Prompted Parenting (DPP), ...

3. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/text-message-intervention-for-underage-alcohol-use-3b3bd

Text Message Intervention for Underage Alcohol Use This pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) will evaluate both the feasibility and efficacy of Digitally Prompted Parenting (DPP), a text-message based ...

4. researchprotocols.org researchprotocols.org/2022/5/e38543/

A Parent-Based Intervention for Reducing High-risk Social ... This approach has proven successful in reducing the odds that nondrinking high school students will initiate alcohol use during the first year ...

5. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306460311002929

A randomized, controlled trial to test the efficacy of an ... A randomized, controlled trial to test the efficacy of an online, parent-based intervention for reducing the risks associated with college-student alcohol use.

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9157320/

A Parent-Based Intervention for Reducing High-risk Social ... The central goal of the proposed study is to develop, refine, and pilot a web-based PBI to reduce both high-risk social media cognitions and alcohol use among ...