Digital support tool helps reduce alcohol consumption

Digital support tool helps reduce alcohol consumption

A digital support tool on your phone can help if you want to reduce your alcohol consumption. This was shown in a study by researchers at Linköping University. They have developed and evaluated a digital tool that helps individuals reduce their alcohol consumption independently.

At the start of the study, participants said it was very important to them to reduce their alcohol consumption. But most said they didn't know how to do it. Those who received access to digital support began to feel more confident about how they could actually change their behavior.”

Marcus Bendtsen, lead author of the study and associate professor, Institute of Health, Medicine and Nursing Sciences, Linköping University

Marcus Bendtsen believes that there is too little discussion about concrete methods to create sustainable change. Warnings and communicating the risks of various behaviors are not enough. In Sweden, the sale of alcohol is regulated by the state and the alcohol tax is relatively high. Nevertheless, alcohol consumption has remained at the same level for a long time. About 3 in 10 adults, or 3 million Swedes, drink alcohol in a way that is considered risky drinking. In such cases, the risk of diseases such as cancer, stroke and heart problems is significantly higher. People who are risky drinkers are also at much higher risk of other physical and psychological negative consequences, as are family members and others close to the drinker. The researchers behind the study, published in the journal BMC Medicine, looked for a new way to reach those who want to help drink less.

“People who want to stop smoking are encouraged and supported by those around them. But the desire to stop drinking alcohol is stigmatized, even if they want to change their behavior,” says Marcus Bendtsen.

Digital support, such as B. as a mobile app or online support could be a way to reach more people who need help. Digital tools can be scaled and used by many without significantly increasing costs. They can also work better for people who do not want to turn to the healthcare system because a digital tool can be used without face-to-face contact. No one else needs to know you are using the tool, reducing the stigma barrier to seeking help.

To investigate whether their digital tool could contribute to reduced alcohol consumption, the researchers wanted to reach people at the precise moment when they were motivated to reduce their alcohol consumption. Study participants were recruited online through targeted advertisements shown to people looking for information about drinking less. Those who chose to participate in the study were randomly divided into two groups. One group received immediate access to the new digital tool. The other group was offered existing web-based resources and asked to motivate themselves to reduce their consumption. They later received access to the digital tool.

Those who were immediately offered digital support received a message every Sunday. In a neutral tone, the message asked them to rate their alcohol consumption over the past week. After participants reported their alcohol consumption, they received feedback and access to several tools. Among other things, the tools included helped participants set goals and track their alcohol consumption over time. Participants were also able to find out about the social risks of alcohol as well as the risks to their own health. Participants could write messages to themselves and choose when they would like to receive them - for example, a reminder to slow down with drinking on a particular day, or a motivating reminder about why they wanted to drink less.

It was shown that the effect of the digital support tool after four months of use was comparable to other digital interventions from international studies - but also slightly better than the evidence for face-to-face interventions.

"Those who had access to the digital tool had about 25 percent lower alcohol consumption than the group who did not, which is a slightly larger effect than we expected. This type of tool will not change the overall societal situation regarding alcohol consumption, but it is a very good tool for people who want to change their own lives," says Marcus Bendtsen.

The researchers are now developing an app to make the tool available to people who need it. They also want to adapt the app to individual needs. There was a wide age range among the study participants, and reasons for drinking alcohol varied between 18 and 80 year olds. The researchers are also conducting health economics calculations to see what impact health care savings and quality of life would have over 30 to 40 years if the tool were widely used.

Source:

Linköping University

Reference:

Bendtsen, M., et al. (2022) Effectiveness of a digital intervention compared to alcohol information for online help seekers in Sweden: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Medicine. doi.org/10.1186/s12916-022-02374-5.

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