Peer- and web-based interventions for risky drinking among US National Guard members: Mission Strong randomized...

Area of Science:

• Military Health
• Behavioral Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Hazardous alcohol use is prevalent in military reserve components.
• Effective interventions are needed to address harmful drinking patterns in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of web-based and peer-based brief interventions (BI) for hazardous alcohol use.
• To compare these interventions against an enhanced usual care (EUC) control group.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 739 Michigan Army National Guard members reporting hazardous alcohol use.
• Participants were assigned to: web-based BI with web boosters, web-based BI with peer boosters, or EUC.
• The primary outcome was binge drinking episodes at 12 months, measured via self-report.

Main Results:

• Both the web-based BI with peer boosters and the web-based BI with web boosters significantly reduced binge drinking compared to EUC.
• Adjusted analyses showed significant reductions in binge drinking for both intervention groups (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• Web-based brief interventions, augmented with either web-based or peer-based boosters, are effective in reducing hazardous and binge alcohol use among Army National Guard members.
• These findings support the implementation of digital and peer-supported interventions in military populations.