Efficacy of a Web‐Based Screening and Brief Intervention to Prevent Problematic Alcohol Use in Korea: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

BackgroundWeb‐based alcohol screenings and brief interventions have been shown to be effective methods for changing drinking behavior. This study evaluated the efficacy of the online‐based Brief Empowerment Program for Alcohol‐Use Monitor (on‐BEAM), a brief intervention applying personalized normative feedback (PNF) and components of motivational interviewing (MI) techniques.MethodsA community‐based, double‐blind, parallel‐group randomized controlled trial with individual randomization was conducted in Korea (registered at Clinical Research Information Service—KCT0003050). An e‐mail about participating in a survey on drinking behavior was sent to 5,684 individuals, aged 20 to 40, that were registered as part of a research panel. Male and female participants with AUDIT‐C scores of ≥4 and ≥3, respectively, were randomly assigned to either an intervention (received a drinking behavior assessment and the results with normative feedback) or control group (assessment and results without normative feedback). To evaluate the effects of the intervention with 2 sessions over the course of a month, a follow‐up assessment was performed online 4 weeks after completion of the intervention. The main outcome was the number of standard drinks consumed during the past week measured using the timeline followback method. The rate ratios (RRs) were calculated to test the effects of the intervention.ResultsIn total, 1,496 participants were randomized and 93% of them followed up. The intervention group reported consuming less alcohol during the past week (RR = 0.13; p = 0.012) than the control group. Additionally, the intervention group had fewer binge drinkers (RR = 0.69; p < 0.001) and a lower AUDIT‐C score (RR = 0.59; p = 0.009) than the control group.ConclusionsThe web‐based intervention, on‐BEAM, which applies PNF and MI components related to high‐risk drinking reduced the amount of alcohol consumption in our study population. Further research is needed to determine the duration of on‐BEAM's effects and evaluate its effectiveness in the real world.

Technology-Delivered Adaptations of Motivational Interviewing for the Prevention and Management of Chronic Diseases: Scoping Review

“…Most were conducted in the United States (n=22) [ 28 - 49 ]. Others were conducted in the Netherlands (n=4) [ 50 - 53 ], Switzerland (n=2) [ 54 , 55 ], Germany (n=1) [ 56 ], Korea (n=1) [ 57 ], Austria (n=1) [ 58 ], Canada (n=1) [ 59 ], and New Zealand (n=1) [ 60 ]. One study included participants from Germany, Sweden, Belgium, and the Czech Republic [ 61 ].…”

“…Studies were based on a variety of conceptual frameworks. Of the 34 studies, 24 used only MI [ 28 - 32 , 34 , 35 , 37 - 39 ,​ 41 - 44 , 46 , 47 , 49 , 51 , 53 , 54 , 56 , 59 - 61 ] and the remaining 10 used alternative frameworks in conjunction with MI [ 33 , 36 , 40 , 45 , 48 , 50 , 52 , 55 , 57 , 58 ] ( Multimedia Appendix 1 ). The most commonly used conceptual framework other than MI was cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT; n=3) [ 45 , 50 , 55 ].…”

“…There were 30 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 3 studies that used a nonrandomized pretest-posttest design with no control group [ 33 , 36 , 59 ], and 1 randomized experiment whose purpose was to refine the contents of the TAMI [ 58 ] ( Multimedia Appendix 1 ). Control groups included active control (n=14) [ 29 , 31 , 34 , 35 , 37 ,​ 39 - 41 , 43 , 45 , 47 , 53 , 54 , 57 ], treatment as usual (n=7) [ 28 , 30 , 42 , 44 , 48 , 49 , 60 ], wait list (n=5) [ 32 , 50 , 52 , 55 , 56 ], or no treatment (n=4) [ 38 , 46 , 51 , 61 ].…”

The Efficacy of Motivational Interviewing with Cognitive Behavioral Treatment on Behavior Changes in Heavy Drinkers

“…Motivational intervention for prevention of heavy drinking includes feedback, responsibility, advice, menu of strategies, empathy, self-efficacy (FRAMES), awareness of discrepancies, decisional balancing exercise, and continuous monitoring, all of which are important for changing clients' problem-drinking behaviors [14][15][16]. Previous studies have mainly examined changes in drinking behavior after applying MI to prevent problem drinking [17]. However, it is important to evaluate the context and the process of behavior change because MI focuses on clients' thoughts of changes and processes, including therapeutic engagement.…”

Finding the Right Balance: A Social Norms Intervention to Reduce Heavy Drinking in University Students

“…We used PNF in the form of e-mails to reach as many University students as possible. One crucial advantage of e-mail-based interventions is that participants can access the information at any time or place whilst also protecting their anonymity (58). SNI with PNF represents a stand-alone, e-mail-based, personalized, normative feedback intervention.…”