Understanding Genetic Risk for Alcohol Use Disorder

NCT05143073 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: HM20023103
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 338
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate an online educational tool that will help individuals better understand alcohol use disorder, risk factors, and genetic risk information and to better understand participant's beliefs regarding alcohol use disorder. This study does not involve genetic testing. Investigators will not be giving participants any personalized genetic feedback as part of the study; however, investigators will ask participants to imagine that they receive different hypothetical genetic risk scores and respond to survey items.

Conditions

Alcohol Use Disorder

Keywords

Genetic Feedback; Personalized Risk Information; Alcohol Use Disorder; Educational Intervention; Polygenic Risk Scores; Health Beliefs

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Understanding of genetic risk scores for alcohol use disorder

  Understanding of genetic risk scores for alcohol use disorder will be assessed after each of the three hypothetical scenarios in which participants receive a low genetic risk score, average genetic risk score, and high genetic risk score. Participants will respond to a series of true/false/don't know statements to assess understanding and interpretation of each genetic risk score. Responses will be scored as correct or incorrect and summed to create an overall score.

  1 hour

• Perceived susceptibility of developing alcohol use disorder

  Perceived susceptibility for developing alcohol use disorder assesses an individual's belief about their chance of developing alcohol use disorder in the future. This will be measured using the Health Beliefs about Mental Illness Instrument. The items will be assessed immediately after the educational intervention and after each hypothetical genetic risk score. Five items from the Health Beliefs about Mental Illness Instrument will be scored from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) and averaged together to create an overall score.

  1 hour

Secondary Outcomes (7)

• Perceived barriers to risk reducing behavior

  1 hour

• Perceived severity of alcohol use disorder

  1 hour

• Genetic knowledge

  1 hour

• Future intentions

  1 hour

• Hypothetical psychological impact of receiving a genetic risk score

  1 hour

Study Arms (3)

No educational materials

NO INTERVENTION

No educational materials will be provided.

Alcohol use disorder and strategies to reduce risk

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The information provided to participants will be related to alcohol use disorder, including a definition, prevalence, consequences, risk factors, and risk-reducing strategies. The content is based on information from National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism websites, Mayo Clinic websites, and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Behavioral: Alcohol use disorder and strategies to reduce risk educational material

Complex polygenic risk scores, alcohol use disorder, and strategies to reduce risk

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The information provided to participants will explain polygenic risk scores by discussing genetic variation, risk variants, how polygenic scores are created, and how they can be interpreted. The participants will also receive the same information related to alcohol use disorder, including a definition, prevalence, consequences, risk factors, and risk-reducing strategies.

Behavioral: Complex polygenic risk scores, alcohol use disorder, and strategies to reduce risk educational material

Interventions

Alcohol use disorder and strategies to reduce risk educational material BEHAVIORAL

Participants will be directed to educational information (\~5 minutes) regarding alcohol use disorder and strategies to reduce risk which they will read.

Alcohol use disorder and strategies to reduce risk

Complex polygenic risk scores, alcohol use disorder, and strategies to reduce risk educational material BEHAVIORAL

Participants will be directed to educational information (\~10 minutes) regarding complex polygenic risk scores, alcohol use disorder and strategies to reduce risk which they will read.

Complex polygenic risk scores, alcohol use disorder, and strategies to reduce risk

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Undergraduate Virginia Commonwealth University students 18 or older
• Voluntary consent must be provided

You may not qualify if:

• Under the age of 18

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Virginia Commonwealth University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia, 23298, United States

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Driver MN, Kuo SI, Dron JS, Austin J, Dick DM. The impact of receiving polygenic risk scores for alcohol use disorder on psychological distress, risk perception, and intentions to reduce drinking. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2023 Jul-Sep;192(5-6):93-101. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32933. Epub 2023 Mar 1.

  PMID: 36856135 DERIVED

• Driver MN, Kuo SI, Petronio L, Brockman D, Dron JS, Austin J, Dick DM. Evaluating the impact of a new educational tool on understanding of polygenic risk scores for alcohol use disorder. Front Psychiatry. 2022 Nov 23;13:1025483. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1025483. eCollection 2022.

  PMID: 36506445 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Alcoholism; Genetic Risk Score

Interventions

Ethanol

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Alcohol-Related Disorders; Substance-Related Disorders; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Mental Disorders; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Disease Susceptibility; Disease Attributes; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Alcohols; Organic Chemicals

Study Officials

• Danielle Dick, PhD

  Virginia Commonwealth University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 19, 2021
• First Posted: December 3, 2021
• Study Start: November 15, 2021
• Primary Completion: December 13, 2021
• Study Completion: December 13, 2021
• Last Updated: January 19, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)