Web-based self-help intervention reduces alcohol consumption in both heavy-drinking and dependent alcohol users: A...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Digital Health Interventions
• Substance Use Disorders

Background:

• Alcohol use disorders pose significant public health challenges.
• Web-based interventions offer scalable solutions for alcohol reduction.
• Evaluating predictors of adherence and intervention outcomes is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a web-based intervention for reducing alcohol use and related problems.
• To identify predictors of adherence to the intervention.
• To assess the outcomes of the intervention based on user risk levels.

Main Methods:

• A multicenter project developed a web-based intervention.
• 32,401 individuals accessed the site; 3389 registered.
• Participants were categorized using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) into low risk users (LRU), harmful/hazardous users (HHU), and suggestive of dependence users (SDU).

Main Results:

• 29.1% of registered users completed the six-week evaluation.
• 63.5% of completers reported low-risk drinking levels.
• Significant alcohol consumption reduction observed in HHU (62.5%) and SDU (64.5%) groups; adherence was higher in HHU than LRU.

Conclusions:

• The web-based intervention shows promising results in reducing alcohol consumption, particularly for higher-risk groups.
• Despite relatively low adherence, the intervention's good outcomes, low cost, and scalability suggest significant cost-effectiveness.
• Further research could explore strategies to improve adherence in web-based alcohol interventions.