Prevention of Alcohol Related Incidents in the US Air Force (AFIV)

University of Virginia

Status: Completed

Conditions: Alcohol Abuse

Treatments: Behavioral: Bystander Intervention; Behavioral: Group Brief Alcohol Intervention Booster; Behavioral: Group Brief Alcohol Intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Other U.S. Federal agency; NIH

Identifiers

NCT01398319

FWH20140105H

Details and patient eligibility

About

Alcohol misuse poses significant public health concerns in the U.S. military. A Brief Alcohol Intervention (BAI) have been shown to reduce alcohol related incidents among Airmen undergoing training. The current study sought to examine whether a booster BAI administered at the end of an Airmen's training reduced alcohol related incidents out to a one-year follow-up. Participants were 26,231 US Air Force Technical Trainees recruited between March 2016 and July 2018. Participants were cluster randomized by cohort to two conditions: BAI + BAI Booster or BAI + Bystander Intervention. The primary analysis was a comparison of the interventions' efficacies in preventing Article 15 alcohol related incidents at a one-year follow-up, conducted using a generalized estimating equations logistic regression model controlling for covariates.

Enrollment: 26,231 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Participants were Airmen undergoing Technical Training at five military bases (Lackland Air Force Base, Keesler Air Force Base, Sheppard Air Force Base, Goodfellow Air Force Base and Fort Sam Houston) in Texas and Mississippi from March 2016 through July 2018. Eligibility criteria included being at least 18 years of age and understanding the consent process in English.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

26,231 participants in 2 patient groups

Group Brief Alcohol Booster Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

The 1-hour booster intervention was delivered using MI to extend the effective elements found in the original BAI intervention with elements from behavioral economic theory. A behavioral economic approach to alcohol use suggests that decisions to drink are more likely when 1) there is a lack of access to or engagement in alternative alcohol-free reinforcing activities, and 2) there is a greater relative focus on immediate, relative to delayed, rewards (i.e., steep delayed reward discounting). The intent of the intervention is to bring important long-term goals into the present so that the immediate awareness of this goal might diminish the relative benefit of drinking. Another goal was to have the Airmen identify enjoyable and goal-consistent alcohol-free activities they could engage in during their free time. The booster also included a reminder of the U.S. Air Forces rules and policies on alcohol use and harm reduction drinking strategies.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Group Brief Alcohol Intervention Booster

Behavioral: Group Brief Alcohol Intervention

Bystander Intervention

Active Comparator group

Description:

The 1-hour Bystander intervention was a non-alcohol related briefing that served as the control condition. The intervention focused on increasing Airmen's awareness of the qualities of being a good "wingman" (e.g., watching for their peers) and how those are tied to the Air Force Core Values. It aimed to increase participants' perceived responsibility to act in certain situations. The intervention draws on the philosophy that members in a community have a role in shifting social norms to prevent violence. While the intervention did not directly discuss alcohol use, the focus on military values and taking responsibility for one's self and others could contribute to healthier drinking-related choices.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Bystander Intervention

Behavioral: Group Brief Alcohol Intervention