N/A
N=191
Step Away: Comparing a Chatbot-delivered Alcohol Intervention With a Smartphone App
Alcohol Consumption · Alcohol Use Disorder
Bottom Line
View on ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04447794 ↗Enrolled (actual)
191
Serious AEs
0.0%
Results posted
Sep 2023
Primary outcome: Primary: Change in Alcohol Consumption (Drinks Per Day) — -1.18; -0.90; -0.63 drinks per day
Study Design & Population
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- N/A
- Interventions
- Step Away Chatbot (Behavioral); Step Away App (Behavioral)
- Age
- Adult, Older Adult · 18+ yrs
- Sex
- All
- Sponsor
- University of Alaska Anchorage
- Primary completion
- Jan 2021
Outcome Measures
| Outcome | Result | p-value |
|---|---|---|
| PRIMARY Change in Alcohol Consumption (Drinks Per Day) |
-1.18; -0.90; -0.63 | — |
| PRIMARY Change in Alcohol-Related Problems |
-3.53; -2.82; -3.98 | — |
| PRIMARY Change in Alcohol Consumption (Heavy Drinking Days) |
-4.40; -3.95; -1.36 | — |
| PRIMARY Change in Alcohol Consumption (Percentage of Days Abstinent) |
19.60; 14.02; 17.37 | — |
| SECONDARY Change in Readiness to Change |
0.05; 0.48; 0.00 | — |
| SECONDARY Intervention Utilization Data |
33.96; 24.56 | — |
| SECONDARY Qualitative Perceptions of Step Away App and Chatbot |
10; 10; 10; 10; 10; 10 | — |
Summary
A wide gap exists between the number of people needing alcohol treatment and those actually receiving it. This study builds on a previous one that indicated that smartphone-based intervention can help increase the number of people who receive alcohol intervention services and decrease treatment barriers. Improvements to the previously developed app, Step Away, will be made. In addition, a new method of delivering the Step Away intervention via an online, interactive chatbot, will be developed with the goal of improving engagement and effectiveness. Participants will be recruited and outcomes between the two interventions examined to determine if the Step Away chatbot has enhanced user engagement, intervention fidelity and outcome efficacy in comparison to the Step Away app amongst a group of problem drinkers. Participants will also be interviewed to determine their perceptions of both interventions with a view towards understanding barriers to user engagement.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- being 18 years of age or older
- being a problem drinker, i.e., having a score of 8 or higher for men and 6 or higher for women on the United States Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (USAUDIT)
- drinking 5 or more (for men ages 18-65), or 4 or more (for women and men over age 65), standard drinks on at least one occasion during the last 90 day
- owning either an iPhone or Android smartphone with an accompanying cellular and data plan
- U.S. residency
- able to read and text in English
Exclusion Criteria
- being more than 30 days abstinent at baseline
- being in alcohol or drug abuse treatment currently
- being pregnant or nursing
- having a moderate to severe level of alcohol use disorder, i.e., having a score of 20 or higher on the USAUDIT
- unwilling or unable to complete follow-up assessment
- non-U.S. residency
- unable to read or text in English
Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04447794). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication.