Alcohol Text Messages: A Developmental Study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Psychology
• Maternal and Child Health

Background:

• Risky paternal alcohol consumption is linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes, maternal alcohol use, domestic violence, and depression.
• Targeting fathers' risky drinking behaviors is crucial for improving family health and well-being.
• Existing interventions often overlook the role of fathers in prenatal health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate SMS text messages aimed at fathers who engage in risky alcohol use.
• To compare the effectiveness of two motivational messaging styles: second-person voice versus child's voice.
• To assess fathers' perceptions of message importance and their likelihood to seek further information.

Main Methods:

• Development of 30 SMS text messages on alcohol use for fathers, employing two distinct motivational voices.
• Recruitment of 51 fathers through social media for an online survey assessing message ratings, alcohol use, and psychosocial distress.
• Conducting semi-structured qualitative interviews with 17 participants to gather in-depth feedback.

Main Results:

• Fathers rated text messages presented in a child's voice as significantly more important than those in a second-person voice.
• Survey data indicated a potential for SMS messages to increase awareness of risky alcohol consumption.
• Qualitative interviews corroborated survey findings, highlighting the acceptability of motivational SMS interventions.

Conclusions:

• Motivational SMS text messages, particularly those using a child's voice, are a promising and acceptable tool for raising awareness among fathers about risky alcohol consumption.
• This intervention strategy could be a valuable component in preventing adverse outcomes associated with paternal drinking.
• Further research should explore the long-term impact and scalability of such mobile health interventions for fathers.