Formative content development and evaluation of a text message intervention for excessive alcohol consumption among university students.

BACKGROUND Excessive drinking among university students is a global challenge, leading to significant health risks. However, heavy drinking among students is widely accepted and socially normalized. Mobile phone interventions have attempted to reach students who engage in excessive drinking. A growing number of studies suggest that text message–based interventions could potentially reach many students and, if effective, such an intervention might help reduce heavy drinking in the student community. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to test the effectiveness of a behavior change theory–based 6-week text message intervention among university students. METHODS This study was a two-arm, randomized controlled trial with an intervention group receiving a 6-week text message intervention and a control group that was referred to treatment as usual at the local student health care center. Outcome measures were collected at baseline and at 3 months after the initial invitation to participate in the intervention. The primary outcome was total weekly alcohol consumption. Secondary outcomes were frequency of heavy episodic drinking, highest estimated blood alcohol concentration, and number of negative consequences attributable to excessive drinking. RESULTS A total of 896 students were randomized to either the intervention or control group. The primary outcome analysis included 92.0% of the participants in the intervention group and 90.1% of the control group. At follow-up, total weekly alcohol consumption decreased in both groups, but no significant between-group difference was seen. Data on the secondary outcomes included 49.1% of the participants in the intervention group and 41.3% of the control group. No significant between-group difference was seen for any of the secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS The present study was under-powered, which could partly explain the lack of significance. However, the intervention, although theory-based, needs to be re-assessed and refined to better support the target group. Apart from establishing which content forms an effective intervention, the optimal length of an alcohol intervention targeting students also needs to be addressed in future studies. CLINICALTRIAL International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number ISRCTN95054707; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN95054707 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/70Ax4vXhd)

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"Self-medication": Does Social Anxiety Promote Excessive Alcohol Consumption in a Non-clinical Population?

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e413812005-163 ◽

2002 ◽

Author(s):

E. Y. Strahan

Keyword(s):

Social Anxiety ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Clinical Population ◽

Self Medication ◽

Excessive Alcohol Consumption ◽

Excessive Alcohol

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Does Excessive Alcohol Consumption Increase Economic Cost? An Investigation from Thailand

Systematic Reviews in Pharmacy ◽

10.31838/srp.2020.4.15 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (04) ◽

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Economic Cost ◽

Excessive Alcohol Consumption ◽

Excessive Alcohol

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Clinical Significance of Gamma-Glutamyltranspeptidase Combined with Carbohydrate-Deficient Transferrin for the Assessment of Excessive Alcohol Consumption in Patients with Alcoholic Cirrhosis

Medicines ◽

10.3390/medicines8070039 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (7) ◽

pp. 39

Author(s):

Akihiko Shibamoto ◽

Tadashi Namisaki ◽

Junya Suzuki ◽

Takahiro Kubo ◽

Satoshi Iwai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Biological Markers ◽

Prediction Accuracy ◽

Total Bilirubin ◽

Alcoholic Cirrhosis ◽

Serum Total Bilirubin ◽

Excessive Alcohol Consumption ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Carbohydrate Deficient Transferrin ◽

Excessive Alcohol

: Background: This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (γ-GTP) to assess the single and combined benefits of these biological markers for the detection of chronic excessive alcohol consumption in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. Methods: Biological markers were determined in blood samples from patients with alcoholic cirrhosis (drinking group, n = 35; nondrinking group, n = 81). The prediction accuracy of %CDT alone, γ-GTP alone, and their combination for the detection of excessive alcohol consumption was determined in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. Results: Serum total bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, γ-GTP, and alkaline phosphatase levels and %CDT were significantly higher and serum albumin levels were significantly lower in the drinking group than in the nondrinking group. The combination of %CDT and γ-GTP compared with %CDT or γ-GTP alone showed a higher prediction accuracy. The combination of %CDT and γ-GTP exhibited a higher specificity than γ-GTP alone. However, in terms of sensitivity, no significant difference was found between single or combined markers. Conclusions: The combination of %CDT and γ-GTP is considered a useful biomarker of chronic excessive alcohol consumption in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis.

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Methods for Estimating Avoidable Costs of Excessive Alcohol Consumption

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18094964 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (9) ◽

pp. 4964

Author(s):

Beata Gavurova ◽

Miriama Tarhanicova

Keyword(s):

Czech Republic ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Data Availability ◽

Excessive Alcohol Consumption ◽

Public Authorities ◽

The Czech Republic ◽

Cost Of Disease ◽

Lost Productivity ◽

Excessive Alcohol ◽

The Cost

Background: Alcohol is a risk factor with serious consequences for society and individuals. This study aims to present methods and approaches that might be used to estimate the costs related to excessive alcohol consumption. It emphasizes the need for general methods and approaches that are easily applicable, because the level of digitalization and data availability vary across regions. The lack of data makes many methods inapplicable and useless. The ease of applicability will help to make cost-of-illness studies and their results comparable globally. Methods: This study is based on data from the Czech Republic in 2017. Drinking alcohol results in costs of healthcare, social care, law enforcement, and administrative costs of public authorities. To quantify the cost of drinking in the Czech Republic, the top-down approach, bottom-up approach, human capital approach and attributable fractions were used. Results: In 2017, the cost related to alcohol was estimated at 0.66% of the national GDP. Lost productivity represented 54.45% of total cost related to alcohol. All cost related to alcohol is considered to be avoidable. Conclusions: The methods and approaches applied to estimate the cost of disease or any other health issue should be generalized regarding the availability of data and specifics of provided services to people who are addicted or have any kind of disability.

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