Reducing binge drinking in at-risk young adults using a computer-delivered intervention delivered through text messaging: Preliminary findings

Our objective was to evaluate whether a computer delivered intervention (CDI) focused on self-monitoring and goal-setting delivered through text messaging over a 12-week period can be used to reduce binge drinking among at-risk adults aged 18-25 years of age. The CDI prompts participants to report weekend drinking plans each Thursday, and if they report plan to drink, asks them if they are willing to set a goal to reduce their drinking. The CDI then prompts participants each Sunday to report their weekend alcohol consumption and provides normative feedback. Baseline characteristics for participants (n=62) include 35% under age 21 years, 36% black race, 35% currently enrolled in college. All participants were AUDIT-C positive (score >2 for women & >3 for men). There was a 66% response rate to Thursday prompts, a reported plan to binge 29% of weekends, and a willingness to set a goal to reduce drinking 72% of the time. 87% of Sunday prompts were completed with a mean 5.8 (SD 5.4) drinks in those who planned to binge versus 2.9 (SD 2.3) drinks in those who did not plan to binge, and a mean 6.5 (SD 5.5) in those willing to set a goal versus 7.6 (SD 5.3) in those not willing to set a goal. Over the first 4 weeks of exposure, the proportion of participants with a binge episode decreased from 31% to 16%. Although preliminary, these findings suggest that CDIs that leverage text messaging may be used to reduce harmful drinking among young adults.