A mobile phone–based brief intervention with personalized feedback and text messaging is associated with reductions in driving after drinking among college drinkers

Abstract

Objective: Driving after drinking (DAD) among college students remains a significant public health concern and is perhaps the single riskiest drinking-related behavior. Counselor-delivered and web-based Brief Alcohol Interventions (BAIs) have been shown to reduce DAD among college students, but to date no study has evaluated the efficacy of a single-session mobile phone–based BAI specific to DAD. The present study examined whether a driving-specific BAI delivered via mobile phone would significantly decrease DAD among college students compared to an informational control. Method: Participants were 84 college students (67.1% women; average age = 23; 52.4% White) who endorsed driving after drinking two or more drinks at least twice in the past 3 months. After completing baseline measures, participants were randomly assigned to receive either (a) DAD information or (b) DAD mobile BAI that included personalized feedback and interactive text messaging. Participants completed outcome measures at 3-month follow-up. Results: Repeated-measures mixed modeling analyses revealed that students receiving the mobile phone–based BAI reported significantly greater reductions in likelihood of DAD (three or more drinks) and the number of drinks consumed before driving than students in the information condition at 3-month follow-up. Conclusions: These fi ndings provide preliminary support for the short-term efficacy of a mobile phone–based BAI for reducing DAD among college students.

Publication Title

Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs

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