“Let’s get Wasted!” and Other Apps: Characteristics, Acceptability, and Use of Alcohol-Related Smartphone Applications

Abstract

BackgroundSmartphone applications (“apps”) offer a number of possibilities for health promotion activities. However, young people may also be exposed to apps with incorrect or poor quality information, since, like the Internet, apps are mostly unregulated. Little is known about the quality of alcohol-related apps or what influence they may have on young people’s behavior.ObjectiveTo critically review popular alcohol-related smartphone apps and to explore young people’s opinions of these apps, their acceptability, and use for alcohol-related health promotion.MethodsFirst, a content analysis of 500 smartphone apps available via Apple iTunes and Android Google Play stores was conducted. Second, all available blood alcohol concentration (BAC) apps were tested against four individual case profiles of known BAC from a previous study. Third, two focus group discussions explored how young people use alcohol-related apps, particularly BAC apps.Results384 apps were included; 50% (192) were entertainment apps, 39% (148) were BAC apps, and 11% (44) were health promotion and/or stop drinking–related apps. When testing the BAC apps, there was wide variation in results, with apps tending to overestimate BAC scores compared with recorded scores. Participants were skeptical of the accuracy of BAC apps, and there was an overall concern that these apps would be used as a form of entertainment, further encouraging young people to drink, rather than reduce their drinking and risk taking.ConclusionsThe majority of popular alcohol-related apps encouraged alcohol consumption. Apps estimating blood alcohol concentration were widely available but were highly unreliable. Health departments and prominent health organizations need to endorse alcohol smartphone apps that are accurate and evidence-based to give specific apps credibility in the ever-expanding market of unregulated apps.

Designing and Undertaking a Health Economics Study of Digital Health Interventions

“…Equally, regulation is appropriate to protect consumers from fraudulent apps, such as those purporting to measure blood alcohol concentration, but with no capacity to do so. 42 Further, harm may occur if information or advice in a DHI is inaccurate or out of date, or through misinterpretation by the user. DHIs may also cause anxiety or feelings of inadequacy if users feel burdened by them.…”

Issues in Child and Adolescent Inpatient Assessment and Evaluation After Discharge: Protocol for App Development and a Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

“…Interactive and mobile technologies i.e. smartphone applications (apps) have shown promising results both regarding data collection as well as an intervention for behavior change but little empirical evidence has been found [10,11].…”

“…This structured data collection also makes it possible to study the child and adolescent psychiatric emergency inpatients in further research. Apps have also been shown effective in helping unwell people by offering support, resources and information [10]. Some claim that their apps can serve as an intervention, but little empirical evidence can be found [11].…”

“…Some claim that their apps can serve as an intervention, but little empirical evidence can be found [11]. Apps developed by health professionals for adolescents must be innovative, useful and fun in order to compete with apps not encouraging healthy behavior [10].…”

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“…The few mobile-based apps for university students that have been tested in clinical trials have provided valuable information to users (Gajecki et al 2014;Gajecki et al 2013), but few of these apps have integrated evidence-based approaches from behavioral health change theories Berman et al 2016). Thus, little is known regarding its efficacy in regards to alcohol intervention using evidence-based strategies or theoretical grounding (Cohn et al 2011;Weaver et al 2013).…”