scholarly journals Text message intervention to reduce frequency of binge drinking among disadvantaged men: the TRAM RCT

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iain K Crombie ◽  
Linda Irvine ◽  
Brian Williams ◽  
Falko F Sniehotta ◽  
Dennis J Petrie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Treatment Effect ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Text Message ◽  
Public Health Research ◽  
Primary Outcome Measure ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
Text Message Intervention

Background Socially disadvantaged men are more likely to binge drink frequently and to experience high levels of alcohol-related harm. Objectives To test the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a text message intervention in reducing the frequency of binge drinking among disadvantaged men. Study design A four-centre, parallel-group, pragmatic, individually randomised controlled trial was conducted. Randomisation was carried out using a secure remote web-based system. It was stratified by participating centre and recruitment method and restricted using block sizes of randomly varying lengths. Setting The study was conducted in the community. Members of the public helped to develop the study methods. Participants Participants were men aged 25–44 years who had ≥ 2 episodes of binge drinking (> 8 units of alcohol in a single session) in the preceding 28 days. Men were recruited from areas of high deprivation. Interventions An empirically and theoretically based text message intervention was delivered by 112 interactive text messages over a 12-week period. The control group received an attentional control comprising 89 text messages on general health. Primary outcome measure The primary outcome measure was the proportion of men consuming > 8 units of alcohol on ≥ 3 occasions (in the previous 28 days) at 12 months post intervention. Results The recruitment target of 798 was exceeded and 825 men were randomised. Retention was high and similar in the intervention (84.9%) and control (86.5%) groups. Most men in the intervention group engaged enthusiastically with the text messages: almost all (92%) replied to text messages and over two-thirds (67%) replied more than 10 times. The intervention was estimated to have had a modest, statistically non-significant effect on the primary outcome at the 12-month follow-up [odds ratio 0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.57 to 1.08]. This corresponds to a net reduction of 5.7% in regular binge drinking. Five secondary outcomes showed small non-significant and inconsistent effects on alcohol consumption, with one suggesting a positive effect and four suggesting an adverse effect. Both the short- and the long-term cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) analysis suggested that the brief intervention was dominated by a ‘do-nothing’ option. The intervention’s impacts on patterns of alcohol consumption, QALYs and downstream costs were inconsistent and uncertain. Limitations The study used an active control that, combined with the recruitment procedures and baseline assessments, could have biased the treatment effect towards the null. The measurement of alcohol consumption relied on self-reported drinking. Conclusions The trial has demonstrated that it is possible to recruit and retain large numbers of socially disadvantaged men in a research study. The text messages delivered a complex theoretically and empirically based intervention that fostered enthusiastic engagement with the key components of the behaviour change sequence. The intervention produced a modest, statistically non-significant effect on the primary outcome, with wide CIs. Further research is needed to reduce uncertainty about the treatment effect. The methods developed for this study provide a platform for the design and testing of interventions to reduce inequalities in health. Future work A future trial could reduce the uncertainty around the treatment effect of the intervention. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN07695192. Funding This study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme and will be published in full in Public Health Research; Vol. 6, No. 6. See NIHR Journals Library website for further information.

scholarly journals Impact of legislation to reduce the drink-drive limit on road traffic accidents and alcohol consumption in Scotland: a natural experiment study

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 1-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jim Lewsey ◽  
Houra Haghpanahan ◽  
Daniel Mackay ◽  
Emma McIntosh ◽  
Jill Pell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Traffic Accidents ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Blood Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Public Health Research ◽  
Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Control Group ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
Per Capita

Background It is widely recognised that drink driving is a leading cause of road traffic accidents (RTAs). There is evidence that changing the drink-drive limit from a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 to 0.05 g/dl is effective in reducing RTAs. Scotland changed the blood alcohol concentration limit to 0.05 g/dl on 5 December 2014. Aims To assess whether or not the numbers and rates of RTAs and per capita alcohol consumption in Scotland were reduced because of the 2014 drink-drive legislation. To assess whether or not the 2014 change in legislation provided good value for money. Design A natural experimental, quantitative study. The control group was England and Wales, that is, the other countries in Great Britain, where the drink-drive legislation remained unchanged. Setting Great Britain. Participants The entire population of Scotland, England and Wales for the period of January 2013–December 2016. Intervention The change to drink-drive legislation in Scotland. Outcome measures The counts and rates of RTAs; and per capita alcohol consumption. Methods For the numbers and rates of RTAs (both traffic flow and population denominators were used), and separately for the intervention and control trial groups, negative binomial regression models were fitted to panel data sets to test for a change in outcome level after the new 2014 legislation was in place. To obtain a ‘difference-in-differences’ (DiD)-type measure of effect, an interaction term between the intervention group indicator and the binary covariate for indicating pre and post change in legislation (‘pseudo’-change for the control group) was assessed. For off- and on-trade per capita alcohol sales, and separately for the intervention and control trial group, seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average error models were fitted to the relevant time series. Results The change to drink-drive legislation was associated with a 2% relative decrease in RTAs in Scotland [relative risk (RR) 0.98, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.04; p = 0.53]. However, the pseudo-change in legislation was associated with a 5% decrease in RTAs in England and Wales (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.00; p = 0.05). For RTA rates, with traffic flow as the denominator, the DiD-type estimate indicated a 7% increase in rates for Scotland relative to England and Wales (unadjusted RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.17; p = 0.1). The change to drink-drive legislation was associated with a 0.3% relative decrease in per capita off-trade sales (–0.3%, 95% CI –1.7% to 1.1%; p = 0.71) and a 0.7% decrease in per capita on-trade sales (–0.7%, 95% CI –0.8% to –0.5%; p < 0.001). Conclusion The change to drink-drive legislation in Scotland in December 2014 did not have the expected effect of reducing RTAs in the country, and nor did it change alcohol drinking levels in Scotland. This main finding for RTAs was unexpected and the research has shown that a lack of enforcement is the most likely reason for legislation failure. Future work Investigations into how the public interpret and act on changes in drink-drive legislation would be welcome, as would research into whether or not previous change in drink-drive legislation effects on RTAs in other jurisdictions are associated with the level of enforcement that took place. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN38602189. Funding This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme and will be published in full in Public Health Research; Vol. 7, No. 12. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

A Newsletter/Text Message Intervention Promoting Beverage-Related Parenting Practices: Pilot Test Results

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 897-904 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arwa Zahid ◽  
Marla Reicks
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Parenting Practices ◽  
Text Message ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Sugar Sweetened Beverage ◽  
Sweetened Beverages ◽  
Reduce Sugar ◽  
Text Message Intervention ◽  
Home Availability

Positive beverage parenting practices may reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption by children and prevent potential health problems. An online newsletter/text message intervention was conducted with parents of children 6 to 12 years to improve beverage parenting practices. Newsletters and text messages were sent weekly over a 4-week period providing gain-framed messages encouraging parenting practices including role modeling and controlling home beverage availability. Pre–post surveys included measures of home availability of beverages and parent beverage intake as an indication of parenting practices. Parents were primarily White, well-educated, and female. About one third lived in rural areas. Results from 100 parents with pre–post data from baseline to 4 weeks showed decreased reported home availability of regular soda pop (p = .008), decreased parent intake of sweetened beverages (p = .004), and decreased parent-reported child intake of regular soft drinks (p = .001), and sweetened juice drink beverages (p < .0001). Most parents (82%) reported reading all three newsletters and indicated that the information provided was relevant (93%). A brief newsletter/text message intervention may be a positive and convenient approach to promote positive beverage parenting practices.

Personalized drinking feedback : an event-specific text-message intervention

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jennifer Marie Cadigan
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Text Message ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Personalized Feedback ◽  
Alcohol Education ◽  
University Of Missouri ◽  
The University ◽  
Text Message Intervention

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] This study examined the efficacy and feasibility of an event-specific, text-message personalized feedback intervention (PFI) among 130 college students. Results indicated significant between-group differences for peak eBAC and drinks consumed when tailgating, with those in the text message PFI condition reporting a lower peak eBAC and less alcohol use than those in the text message alcohol education control group. Providing normative feedback on tailgating alcohol use in the PFI condition was effective in changing perceived drinking norms and alcohol consumption. This suggests the intervention was effective in correcting normative misperceptions of tailgating alcohol use, which was subsequently associated with reduced alcohol consumption. Findings provide preliminary support for the efficacy of an event-specific text-message PFI.

scholarly journals A Text Message Intervention with Adaptive Goal Support to Reduce Alcohol Consumption Among Non-Treatment-Seeking Young Adults: Non-Randomized Clinical Trial with Voluntary Length of Enrollment (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Suffoletto ◽  
Tammy Chung ◽  
Frederick Muench ◽  
Peter Monti ◽  
Duncan B Clark
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Text Message ◽  
Confidence Score ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Goal Commitment ◽  
Reduce Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Text Message Intervention

BACKGROUND Stand-alone text message–based interventions can reduce binge drinking episodes (≥4 drinks for women and ≥5 drinks for men) among nontreatment-seeking young adults, but may not be optimized. Adaptive text message support could enhance effectiveness by assisting context-specific goal setting and striving, but it remains unknown how to best integrate it into text message interventions. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate young adults’ engagement with a text message intervention, Texting to Reduce Alcohol Consumption 2 (TRAC2), which focuses on reducing weekend alcohol consumption. TRAC2 incorporated preweekend drinking-limit goal-commitment ecological momentary assessments (EMA) tailored to past 2-week alcohol consumption, intraweekend goal reminders, self-efficacy EMA with support tailored to goal confidence, and maximum weekend alcohol consumption EMA with drinking limit goal feedback. METHODS We enrolled 38 nontreatment-seeking young adults (aged 18 to 25 years) who screened positive for hazardous drinking in an urban emergency department. Following a 2-week text message assessment-only run-in, subjects were given the opportunity to enroll in 4-week intervention blocks. We examined patterns of EMA responses and voluntary re-enrollment. We then examined how goal commitment and goal self-efficacy related to event-level alcohol consumption. Finally, we examined the association of length of TRAC2 exposure with alcohol-related outcomes from baseline to 3-month follow-up. RESULTS Among a diverse sample of young adults (56% [28/50] female, 54% [27/50] black, 32% [12/50] college enrolled), response rates to EMA queries were, on average, 82% for the first 4-week intervention block, 75% for the second 4-week block, and 73% for the third 4-week block. In the first 4 weeks of the intervention, drinking limit goal commitment was made 68/71 times it was prompted (96%). The percentage of subjects being prompted to commit to a drinking limit goal above the binge threshold was 52% (15/29) in week 1 and decreased to 0% (0/15) by week 4. Subjects met their goal 130/146 of the times a goal was committed to (89.0%). There were lower rates of goal success when subjects reported lower confidence (score <4) in meeting the goal (76% [32/42 weekends]) compared with that when subjects reported high confidence (98% [56/57 weekends]; P=.001). There were reductions in alcohol consumption from baseline to 3 months, but reductions were not different by length of intervention exposure. CONCLUSIONS Preliminary evidence suggests that nontreatment-seeking young adults will engage with a text message intervention incorporating self-regulation support features, resulting in high rates of weekend drinking limit goal commitment and goal success.

scholarly journals 1527Effect of a text-messaging intervention on oral self-care practices in antenatal women in Delhi, India

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saurav Basu ◽  
Anjali Rajeev ◽  
Suneela Garg ◽  
Mongjam Singh
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Dental Health ◽  
Health Centre ◽  
Text Message ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
Oral Health Promotion ◽  
Text Message Intervention

Abstract Objective to determine the effect of a mHealth (text-message) intervention compared with a structured health educational session on the oral care and hygiene practices of pregnant women. Methods We conducted a pilot Randomized Control Trial parallel design superiority trial with a 1:1 allocation ratio. A total of 76 pregnant women up-to 20 weeks of gestational age and capable of reading mobile phone text-messages were recruited during August-October’ 2020 from the antenatal clinic of a primary health centre in a low-income urban agglomeration in Delhi, India. The mHealth intervention arm participants were sent a daily text-message for 30 days while all participants were provided a face-face, brief didactic structured educational sessions towards oral health promotion. Results The baseline characteristics of both groups were comparable in terms of age-structure, education, parity, and oral hygiene but differed in terms of oral health problems. Post-intervention, although, the twice-brushing frequency increased in both arms, only the mHealth arm revealed a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of missed twice daily brushing episodes (p = 0.016). The absolute effect size for the primary outcome signifying the difference in the proportion of participants reporting twice daily brushing frequency habit between the mHealth and comparison arms’ was 0.090, the Cohen’s H was 0.182, and the odds of twice brushing habit in the mHealth arm was 1.44 times higher than in the comparison arm. Conclusions a mHealth based daily text-message intervention for one month was not superior to a one-time brief didactic structured educational intervention for oral health promotion in antenatal women. Keywords mHealth; Dental health promotion; Dental health education; Antenatal care

scholarly journals Testing the feasibility and acceptability of a religiously-tailored text messaging intervention to reduce smoking among Somali Muslim men during Ramadan

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebekah Pratt ◽  
Olamide Ojo-Fati ◽  
Diana DuBois ◽  
Kolawole Okuyemi ◽  
Amanda L Graham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Text Messaging ◽  
Intervention Strategy ◽  
Smoking Behavior ◽  
Text Message ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
Smoking Reduction ◽  
Muslim Men ◽  
Quitting Smoking ◽  
Text Message Intervention ◽  
Text Messaging Intervention

Abstract Introduction The prevalence of smoking among Somali Muslim male immigrants residing in Minnesota is estimated at 44%, however smoking reduction is common during the month of Ramadan. This study evaluated the feasibility and impact of a religiously-tailored text message intervention delivered during Ramadan to encourage smoking reduction among Somali Muslim men who smoke. Methods 50 Somali men were recruited. Participants received two text messages per day starting one week prior to and throughout the month of Ramadan. Approximately half were religiously-tailored and half were about the risks of smoking and benefits of quitting. Smoking behavior was assessed at baseline, and at weeks 4 (end of Ramadan), 8, and 16. Outcomes included feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact of the text message intervention on smoking reduction and bio-verified abstinence. Results The average age was 41 years. Average time to first cigarette was 1.8 hours at baseline, and 46% of participants smoked menthol cigarettes. Eighteen of 50 participants selected English and 32 selected Somali text messages. Subjects significantly reduced self-reported cigarettes per day (CPD) from 12.4 CPD at baseline to 5.8 CPD at Week 16 (p&lt;0.001). Seven subjects reported quitting at week 16, five completed CO testing, confirming self-reported abstinence. The majority of participants found the cultural and religious references encouraging at the end of the week 16 survey. Conclusions Religiously-tailored text messages to decrease smoking are feasible and acceptable to Somali Muslim men who smoke during Ramadan. This intervention for addressing smoking disparities is worthy of further study. Implications Recruitment of Somali Muslim men who smoke is feasible and supports the idea that further studies targeting smoking during Ramadan are practical. Ramadan presents a window of opportunity upon which to build smoking cessation interventions for smokers who identify as Muslim. These preliminary findings suggest that text messaging is a feasible and acceptable intervention strategy, and that religious tailoring was well received. Such an approach may offer potential for addressing smoking disparities among Somali Muslim male smokers.

Do text messages about health and development in young children affect caregiver behaviour and child outcomes? A systematic review

2020 ◽  
pp. 001789692096599
Author(s):  
Brittany Paige Richardson ◽  
Jeannie van der Linde ◽  
Bhavani Pillay ◽  
De Wet Swanepoel
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Text Messaging ◽  
Child Outcomes ◽  
Text Message ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Health And Development ◽  
Development Outcomes ◽  
Text Message Intervention

Introduction: Inadequate caregiving conditions interfere with successful health and development outcomes. Access to appropriate information can result in improved health and development outcomes in children. Health promotion text messaging, a primary mHealth strategy, has been implemented in various countries to reach communities where the majority of the population may be living in poverty and lacks access to information and health services. This systematic review investigated what effect the provision of information regarding health and development in young children, using text messages, has on caregiver behaviour and child outcomes. Method: The review was conducted according to the PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols) guidelines. Studies were retrieved from Scopus, MEDLINE, PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection and Cochrane library using primary search phrases. The search was not limited to a specific period. Thematic analysis was used to organise and synthesise the information extracted from selected studies into main and sub-themes. Results: In total, 19 studies were identified, including randomised controlled trials (RCTs) ( n = 13, 68.42%), observational studies ( n = 3, 15.79%) and non-RCTs ( n = 3, 15.79%). Message content included educational information regarding health and development (89.47%), reminders (36.84%) and caregiver support (52.63%). The majority of studies ( n = 17; 89.47%) found statistically significant positive effects of text message intervention on caregiver behaviour. Text messages also affected child outcomes, with 15.79% ( n = 3) of studies reporting a positive effect. Conclusion: Text messaging is an effective tool to influence caregiver behaviour and child outcomes in health. There is however limited evidence regarding text message intervention effectiveness on child development, both in quality and in quantity. More research, especially in low- and middle-income countries, is necessary.

Implementation of a text message intervention to promote behavioural change and weight loss among overweight and obese Brazilian primary care patients

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 476-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenn L Gusmão ◽  
Antonio L Ribeiro ◽  
Maíra Viana Rego Souza-Silva ◽  
Paulo R Gomes ◽  
Alline M Beleigoli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Weight Loss ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Behavioural Change ◽  
Text Message ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
Wilcoxon Test ◽  
Message Delivery ◽  
Belo Horizonte ◽  
Text Message Intervention

Introduction Mobile-technology-based interventions are promising strategies for promoting behavioural change in obese patients. The aims of this study were to evaluate the feasibility of implementing a text message intervention, and to assess the effects of the intervention on body mass index (BMI) and self-reported behavioural change. Methods TELEFIT was a three-phase feasibility study comprising the following stages: (a) the development of text messages; (b) testing; and (c) a quasi-experimental pilot study in which patients who were engaged in obesity/overweight educational groups in public primary care centres in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, were recruited. A bank of text messages was drafted and reviewed by an expert panel, text message delivery software was developed and tested, and a pilot study assessed patients before and after receiving the intervention using validated questionnaires and body measures. The data were analysed using the Wilcoxon test. Results A total of 46 patients completed the follow-up; 93.5% were women and the median age was 42 years (interquartile range (IQR) 34–52 years). At four months, participants had a significant reduction in BMI (median 31.3 (IQR 28.2–34.6) vs. 29.9 (IQR 27.2–34.6) kg/m2, p < 0.001), systolic (median 125 (IQR 120–132) vs. 120 (IQR 110–130) mmHg, p = 0.013) and diastolic blood pressure (median 80 (IQR 70–100) vs. 80 (IQR 70–80) mmHg, p = 0.006), when compared to baseline. All patients reported to be satisfied and willing to continue receiving the intervention, and 93.3% felt that the intervention helped them change their behaviours. Discussion This study has shown that a text message intervention to promote behavioural change and weight loss was feasible and effective in a short-term period. Participants were satisfied and willing to continue receiving the SMS messages.

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