Game-Based Intervention to Reduce Alcohol Use Among Youth

University of Pittsburgh

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Alcohol Problem

Treatments: Behavioral: Singularities; Behavioral: Food4Thought

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT07463118

STUDY25100213

5R01AA030017-03 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This is a randomized controlled trial to learn if the Singularities, a game-based intervention, works to reduce alcohol-related harms among youth. It will also learn if Singularities reduces alcohol use behaviors and improves alcohol protective behavioral strategies, adaptive coping skills, and healthy social media use. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does Singularities reduce the frequency of experiencing alcohol-related harms and alcohol use behaviors?
• Does Singularities improve alcohol protective behavioral strategies, adaptive coping skills, and healthy social media use?

Researchers will compare Singularities to an attention control program, Food4Thought, a game-based intervention about nutrition, physical activity, and teen well-being, to see if Singularities works to reduce alcohol-related harms.

Participants will:

• Partake in either Singularities or Food4Thought, both of which will be completed over the course of one month
• Take 4 online surveys over the course of one year
• Complete an optional online interview after the surveys

Enrollment: 1,992 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 14 to 18 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Able to comfortably participate in English
• Live in the U.S.
• 14-18 years old
• Have an internet-accessible computer, smart phone, or tablet
• Provide an email address
• Have drank alcohol in their lifetime or intend to in the next year

Exclusion criteria

- None

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

1,992 participants in 2 patient groups

Singularities

Experimental group

Description:

Singularities is a theory-based, community-informed, web-accessible intervention that includes a game, discussion board, and resources that incorporate 3 components for encouraging use of adaptive coping skills, alcohol protective behavioral strategies, and healthy internet and social media use.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Singularities

Food4Thought

Active Comparator group

Description:

Food4Thought is an attention control condition in which participants receive similar amounts of research team contact and program contact as the Singularities intervention. Participants will play the game Pick Your Plate! A Global Guide to Nutrition, developed by the Smithsonian Science Education Center, and learn about resources and respond to questions about nutrition, physical activity, and teen well-being (without the mention of anything pertaining to alcohol use).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Food4Thought