Cell phone-based ecological momentary assessment of substance use context for Latino youth in outpatient treatment: Who, what, when and where

Abstract

Background Relationships between alcohol, marijuana and other drug (AOD) use and contextual factors have mostly been established through retrospective self-report. Given the embeddedness of cell phones in adolescents’ daily activities, cell phone-based ecological momentary assessment (CEMA) provides an opportunity to better understand AOD use in youth and how cell phones can be used to self-monitor and deliver interventions. We use CEMA to examine AOD use in Latino youth who have been especially understudied. Methods Twenty-eight mostly Latino youth (ages 13 to 18) in outpatient substance abuse treatment recorded AOD use, contextual factors, cravings, and affect through once-daily CEMA over one month periods. Random-effects logistic regression was used to compare contextual factors between periods of AOD use and non-use. Results The most frequent contextual factors reported during AOD use were being with close friends and “hanging out” as the primary activity. During AOD use compared to non-use, youth were more likely to be with close friends (OR = 4.76; p<.01), around users (OR = 17.69; p<.01), and at a friend's house (OR = 5.97; p<.01). Alcohol use was more frequently reported at night (63% vs 34%) and on weekends relative to other substances (64% vs 49%). Strong cravings were more frequently reported on AOD-use days (OR = 7.34; p< .01). Types of positive and negative affect were reported with similar frequencies, regardless of AOD use. Conclusions Reporting on social context, location, day and time of day, and cravings all show promise in developing cell phone-based interventions triggered by contextual data.

Mobile Intervention for Individuals With Psychosis, Dual Disorders, and Their Common Comorbidities: A Literature Review

“…Researchers working among adolescents have reported that using this method would produce valid results in the assessment of symptoms, environmental contexts, and coping strategies used in real time by users (79). A study by Comulada et al (80) including adolescents with substance use disorders (13 to 18 years old) was able to clarify the external and internal cues related to drugs and alcohol consumption. With the help of an application-based EMA, these researchers were able to establish that, compared to other drugs, alcohol consumption occurs mainly on evenings and weekends.…”

Feasibility of gathering momentary and daily assessments of fear of crime using a smartphone application (STUNDA): Methodological considerations and findings from a study among Swedish university students

“…Although somewhat counterintuitive, some experience sampling studies include a retrospective approach, although focusing on a period very close to the present time (e.g. Comulada et al, 2016). Despite risking memory bias, the near-in-time retrospective approach is preferable to global assessments that take place a long time after the actual experiences (Shiffman et al, 2008), and may be useful with regard to experiences of a specific event (Schwarz, 2012).…”

“…Regardless of sampling approach, experience studies collect a wide range of situational data, such as time, place, geographical location, ongoing activity and the presence of other people (e.g. Birenboim, 2018; Comulada et al, 2016). Some contextual information (e.g.…”

Alcoholic Beverage Use Among Somali Youth Living in Eastleigh, an Urban Suburb in Nairobi, Kenya

“…Lerner & Ohannessiian [23] In their book, risks and problem behaviours in adolescence reported that adolescents from single-parent homes were more likely to intake psychoactive substances. However, studies have also indicated that it is not just living with parents, but the idea of parental monitoring on the adolescent that may help reduce alcohol use, [24]. Those adolescents living with the extended family were found to more likely to use in lesser alcohol, among the Latino and Somali communities living in the developed world, [25].…”