Two fully automated web-based interventions for risky alcohol use: randomized controlled trial.

Area of Science:

• Digital Health Interventions
• Behavioral Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Excessive alcohol use is a significant global health concern, particularly among young populations.
• Online interventions are increasingly utilized to address high-risk drinking behaviors.
• The 'Change Your Drinking' program is a German, automated, diary-based tool for alcohol reduction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a revised 'Change Your Drinking' program compared to its original version.
• To determine if enhanced features in the revised program improve alcohol consumption reduction.
• To assess user engagement and program adherence between the two versions.

Main Methods:

• A Web-based, open, randomized controlled trial was conducted.
• Participants were randomly assigned to the original or revised 'Change Your Drinking' program.
• Outcomes included self-assessed alcohol use days, grams consumed, binge drinking, risky drinking, and alcohol-related problems at 6 weeks and 3 months.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in alcohol consumption reduction were observed between the two program versions.
• The revised program demonstrated higher participant usage rates (80.7%) compared to the original (55.7%).
• A significant time effect indicated overall improvement in all measured outcomes across both groups.

Conclusions:

• The revised program's enhanced features did not lead to greater alcohol reduction compared to the original.
• Increased user engagement with the revised version suggests improved attractiveness and usability.
• Future interventions may benefit from focusing on user engagement strategies.