Impact of a Mobile E-Health Intervention on Binge Drinking in Young People: The Digital-Alcohol Risk Alertness Notifying Network for Adolescents and Young Adults Project

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Digital Health Interventions
• Adolescent and Young Adult Health

Background:

• Binge drinking (BD) is a prevalent issue among young individuals.
• E-Health applications offer a promising avenue for engaging this demographic and raising awareness.
• Assessing the efficacy of digital tools in modifying health behaviors is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the evidence-based e-Health app, D-ARIANNA, on binge drinking behaviors in young people.
• To assess the app's ability to estimate BD risk, identify risk factors, and provide a comprehensive risk score.
• To determine the short-term effectiveness of D-ARIANNA in reducing BD prevalence.

Main Methods:

• A natural, quasi-experimental pre-/post-test study design was employed.
• Participants (N=590, aged 18-24) were recruited from social venues.
• The D-ARIANNA app was self-administered, with follow-up assessments conducted after two weeks.

Main Results:

• A significant reduction in binge drinking was observed, decreasing from 37% at baseline to 18% at follow-up.
• The reduction in BD was statistically confirmed using a generalized estimating equation model, accounting for potential attrition.
• The app successfully estimated risk and provided feedback on contributing factors.

Conclusions:

• The D-ARIANNA app demonstrated population-level benefit in reducing binge drinking within a two-week period.
• The intervention is easily and economically disseminable among young populations.
• Longer-term impact may necessitate additional features like gamification and regular user feedback.