Who Opts In to Alcohol Feedback and How Does That Impact Behavior? A Pilot Trial

Personalized feedback interventions are effective in reducing alcohol consumption and related problems. However, little is known about the role of choice in outcomes. The current study sought to (a) characterize individuals who opt in for brief alcohol-related feedback, (b) assess participants' consistency in that choice over two time points, and (c) evaluate changes in peak alcohol consumption among those who did and did not receive feedback.

Participants reporting past-12-month alcohol consumption were recruited through Prolific. At the outset of the survey, participants were asked if they would like to receive feedback on their drinking at the end of the survey ("opt in"). Participants at Time 1 (T1; N = 732) were 41% female, 91% White, and 8% Hispanic (mean age = 36, SD = 12.25, range: 18-80). A subset was invited back for a 30-day retest (Time 2 [T2]; n = 234).

Those reporting higher maximum drinks and more drug use were more likely to opt in to feedback than those with lower use. Further, 85% of participants were consistent in their choice of whether to receive feedback across T1 and T2 (κ = .65). Among heavy drinking participants with T1 and T2 data (n = 163), there was an effect of feedback on intensity of consumption at T2.

Individuals who engage in heavy alcohol use are more likely to opt in to personalized alcohol feedback, and most do so consistently. Among heavy drinkers, feedback at T1 reduced intensity of consumption at T2, but the effect was small and requires future replication in more diverse samples.