Exploring Motives for Reducing Alcohol Consumption Among Users of an Alcohol Reduction App: Content Analysis

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Science
• Digital Health

Background:

• Understanding motivations for reducing alcohol consumption is crucial for effective public health messaging.
• Previous research highlights the need to tailor interventions based on individual drivers for behavior change.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the primary motivations behind alcohol consumption reduction among users of the Drink Less mobile application in the UK.
• To analyze how these motivations differ across demographic groups and alcohol consumption risk levels.

Main Methods:

• An inductive content analysis was performed on qualitative data from 2520 UK-based Drink Less app users (aged 18+).
• User responses to the prompt "I want to drink less because..." were analyzed.
• Motivations were stratified by age, sex, and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores.

Main Results:

• The most frequent motives for reducing alcohol intake were improving physical health (52.7%), feeling better in one's body (32.7%), and enhancing mental well-being (22.5%).
• Motivations related to physical health were less prevalent in higher AUDIT risk groups.
• Motivations concerning mental well-being, regaining agency, and improving relationships were more common in higher AUDIT risk groups.

Conclusions:

• UK Drink Less app users most commonly seek to improve physical health, body image, and mental well-being by reducing alcohol intake.
• The varying prevalence of different motives across AUDIT risk zones underscores the necessity of personalized intervention strategies.
• Tailoring public health campaigns and interventions to specific user motivations can enhance their effectiveness in promoting alcohol reduction.