Text Messaging to Reduce High-risk Alcohol Use Among Older Adults

University of Southern Denmark (SDU)

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Hazardous Alcohol Use

Treatments: Behavioral: Text messaging

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06319885

ID: 158341 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

SDU project nr. 3110386

Details and patient eligibility

About

High-risk drinking is very prevalent among Danes aged 55+. It poses a serious risk to health and independent living, burdening health care systems and family members. Measures to reduce high-risk alcohol use in this growing group at need are urgently needed. A recent small study from the US shows that text messaging reduces high-risk alcohol intake in older adults. The investigators will conduct a pilot study with the same intervention in Denmark, with adaptations to language and culture. The pilot study will investigate among Danish older adults whether text messaging is well-accepted by participants and feasible in terms of reducing 1) high-risk drinking and 2) commonly accompanying problems with daily functioning, social relationships, and mental and physical health. The pilot-trial will include n=60 adults aged 55-80 years who will receive alcohol-related text messages (within a secure app for data protection purposes) over 12 weeks. Assessments will include a baseline assessment and a post-assessment.

Enrollment: 60 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 55 to 80 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• consumption of > 10 standard drinks á 12 gram ethanol per week (i.e., high-risk alcohol use defined by the Danish Health Authority) in the past four weeks
• desire to reduce drinking
• age 55 to 80 years
• mobile phone ownership and willingness to receive and respond to text messages
• fluency in Danish.

Exclusion criteria

• drinking more than 53 standard drinks per week in the last four weeks
• past 12 month alcohol withdrawal symptoms or lifetime history of serious withdrawal symptoms (e.g., seizures)
• score above 12 on the Short alcohol withdrawal scale; SAWS
• possible drug dependence (i.e., use of illegal drugs or psychotropic medication taken without prescription more than once a month)
• indication of serious psychiatric illness (lifetime diagnosis of psychosis or bipolar disorder, inpatient treatment or medication for these, recent suicidality)
• current alcohol/drug abuse treatment or a desire to start alcohol/drug abuse treatment during the study
• medical condition that requires abstinence from alcohol
• wish to achieve abstinence (applied to secure a focus on reduction)
• lack of understanding of study protocol or reading difficulty as evidenced by a score of less than 7 out of 10 on the consent form quiz.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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60 participants in 6 patient groups

Gain-framed

Experimental group

Description:

One daily text-message and weekly alcohol use assessment. The text-messages focus on the positive consequences of drinking less.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Text messaging

Loss-framed

Experimental group

Description:

One daily text-message and weekly alcohol use assessment. The text-messages focus on the negative consequences of a high alcohol-intake.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Text messaging

Static-tailored

Experimental group

Description:

One daily text-message and weekly alcohol use assessment. The text-messages are adapted to the participant's gender and to baseline information on (e.g.) participants' drinking patterns, social network, and self-efficacy. One message per week is adapted to the day on which the participants find it most challenging to reduce their drinking.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Text messaging

Adaptive-tailored

Experimental group

Description:

One daily text-message and weekly alcohol use assessment. The text-messages are adapted to the participant's gender and to baseline information on (e.g.) participants' drinking patterns, social network, and self-efficacy. One message per week is adapted to the day on which the participants find it most challenging to reduce their drinking. In addition, text messages are adapted to the weekly alcohol-assessment over time and participants can demand supportive Just-In-Time messages.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Text messaging

Combined

Experimental group

Description:

This arm combines all features of the arms Adaptive-tailored and Gain-framed.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Text messaging

Assessment-only

No Intervention group

Description:

The control group. Participants do only receive 4 questions on their alcohol intake once a week.