Feasibility of a Smart-phone Based Support System for Hazardous Drinkers (NZStepAway)

University of Auckland, New Zealand

Status

Completed

Conditions

Alcohol Consumption

Treatments

Other: NZ Step Away app

Other: Modified NZ Step Away app

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT03553056

U1111-1195-2467

Details and patient eligibility

About

A feasibility trial to determine whether six months access to the New Zealand 'Step Away' app can reduce the frequency of alcohol abuse and increase engagement with substance abuse-related health services by hazardous drinkers

Full description

Rationale: Hazardous drinking is an established drinking pattern that carries a risk of harming the drinker's physical and psychological health, and/or having a harmful social effect on the drinker, their families and the community. Interventions to support people who are drinking at hazardous levels are proven to be beneficial and cost-effective at both individual and population levels. However, very few people report having received help to reduce their alcohol consumption, despite support being available. Those who do seek help predominantly talk to their GP first, who then refers them for specialist support. Consequently, there remains a significant gap between the population 'in need' of treatment and those actually engaged in treatment. Mobile-phone based alcohol interventions have the potential to function as a stand-alone intervention to help people address their alcohol problem, and/or act as a conduit to more intensive treatment. 'Step Away' is a smartphone-delivered health intervention designed in the USA to help individuals moderate or abstain completely from drinking alcohol. It is the only alcohol-related mobile app whose development was informed by an empirically-supported intervention grounded in a psychological theory. While the app has shown promise in a North American sample, a well-powered clinical trial of the intervention has yet to be undertaken. In its current form the app is not suitable for adoption in New Zealand as it uses North American drinking norms and safe drinking guidelines, numerous "Americanisms" and the imperial measurement system, and it focuses on US care services. However, a New Zealand version of 'Step Away' could easily be developed, with input from New Zealand stakeholders and end-users.

Aims: To 1) adapt the "Step Away' app for New Zealand, then 2) undertake a feasibility study to determine whether six months access to the app can reduce the frequency of alcohol abuse and increase engagement with substance abuse-related health services in adult, hazardous drinkers in Auckland.

Design: Double-blind, randomised-controlled trial.

Recruitment: Community advertising, including social media.

Sample size: As a feasibility study, no sample size calculation was undertaken. However, 200 people (100 in each arm) will provide sufficient data to ascertain the direction and likely effect size for the various alcohol-related outcomes, the likely recruitment rate, and estimates around participant retention.

Enrollment

114 patients

Sex

All

Ages

18+ years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

reside in Auckland, New Zealand
at least 18 years of age
have access to a smartphone
report that they currently drink alcohol
have had at least two episodes of binge drinking (defined as six or more drinks on one occasion) in the past 30 days
meet the criteria for hazardous drinking (i.e. 8-19 on the AUDIT)
express motivation to moderate or abstain from drinking.

Exclusion criteria

Identified during screening as having moderate to severe alcohol dependence (≥20 score on the AUDIT)
Currently enrolled in an alcohol programme
Another person in the household is already a participant.