Randomized Trial of a Smartphone App Designed to Reduce Unhealthy Alcohol Consumption

NCT04745325 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 052/2020
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 761
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Smartphone apps targeting alcohol consumption are increasingly employed as a means to help people reduce their alcohol consumption. Recognizing this potential, there has been an explosion of app development for unhealthy alcohol use, as well as other health-related behaviours. This study will recruit people who consume alcohol in an unhealthy manner. Participants will be assigned by chance to one of two groups and will be contacted 6 months after consenting to the study to assess changes in their drinking. In addition, this study will help us understand which components of the smartphone app are important to use in order to promote reductions in alcohol consumption. An app with proven efficacy, made widely available and free-of-charge to Canadians, will provide a much needed option to help those in need to reduce their alcohol use.

Conditions

Alcohol Consumption

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Total number of drinks consumed in a typical week

  self-reported change

  6-months follow-up

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Frequency of heavy drinking days

  6-months follow-up

• Number of consequences associated with drinking

  6-months follow-up

Study Arms (2)

Smartphone app - full access

EXPERIMENTAL

A smartphone app containing 5 modules: 1) personalized feedback on alcohol use (containing normative feedback by age and sex for those located in the Canada), 2) self-monitoring and goal setting tool, 3) tool to choose a designated driver, 4) blood alcohol content (BAC) calculator, and 5) educational information on alcohol use and its consequences (i.e. "fact sheets").

Behavioral: SMAART Canada smartphone app

Smartphone App - education only

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

A version of the Smartphone app containing only the module with the educational information on alcohol use and its consequences (i.e. "fact sheets").

Behavioral: SMAART Canada smartphone app

Interventions

SMAART Canada smartphone app BEHAVIORAL

a smartphone app designed to promote reductions in alcohol consumption among people who drink in a hazardous fashion

Smartphone App - education only; Smartphone app - full access

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• score of 8 or more on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test
• currently us a smartphone running iOS or Android

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health: lead

Study Sites (1)

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Toronto, Canada

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Cunningham JA, Godinho A, Schell C, Studer J, Wardell JD, Garnett C, Bertholet N. Randomized controlled trial of a smartphone app designed to reduce unhealthy alcohol consumption. Internet Interv. 2024 May 17;36:100747. doi: 10.1016/j.invent.2024.100747. eCollection 2024 Jun.

  PMID: 38812955 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Alcohol Drinking

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Drinking Behavior; Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Senior Scientist

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 4, 2021
• First Posted: February 9, 2021
• Study Start: May 27, 2021
• Primary Completion: October 26, 2022
• Study Completion: April 30, 2023
• Last Updated: July 7, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-07

Locations

CA (1)