Real-World Data on Alcohol Consumption Behavior Among Smartphone Health Care App Users in Japan: Retrospective Study

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Behavioral Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Limited long-term alcohol consumption data exists for the general population.
• Smartphone apps offer a novel way to track individual alcohol use.
• Previous studies lack longitudinal insights into general population drinking patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail alcohol consumption behavior in Japan using individual real-world data.
• To test the hypothesis that alcohol consumption decreased during COVID-19 restrictions.
• To assess the impact of digital interventions on daily alcohol logs.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 5-year log data (2018-2022) from a smartphone app (CALO mama Plus).
• Validation of app data against COVID-19 case numbers and national alcohol consumption data.
• Investigation of notification effects ('good'/'bad') on subsequent 3-day alcohol consumption.

Main Results:

• Real-world data from a large user base provided insights into long-term consumption patterns.
• Alcohol consumption trends were analyzed in relation to COVID-19 public health measures.
• The study explored the efficacy of digital notifications in modifying drinking behavior.

Conclusions:

• Smartphone data can effectively track long-term alcohol consumption.
• COVID-19 restrictions likely impacted alcohol consumption patterns in Japan.
• Digital interventions show promise for personalized alcohol behavior modification.