Personalised digital interventions for reducing hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption in community-dwelling populations

Abstract

There is moderate-quality evidence that digital interventions may lower alcohol consumption, with an average reduction of up to three (UK) standard drinks per week compared to control participants. Substantial heterogeneity and risk of performance and publication bias may mean the reduction was lower. Low-quality evidence from fewer studies suggested there may be little or no difference in impact on alcohol consumption between digital and face-to-face interventions.The BCTs of behaviour substitution, problem solving and credible source were associated with the effectiveness of digital interventions to reduce alcohol consumption and warrant further investigation in an experimental context.Reporting of theory use was very limited and often unclear when present. Over half of the interventions made no reference to any theories. Limited reporting of theory use was unrelated to heterogeneity in intervention effectiveness.

Treating alcohol-related liver disease from a public health perspective

“…137 Interventions delivered via computers and smart phones can also reduce alcohol consumption in hazardous and harmful drinkers. 138 In the hospital setting, a recent study has shown it is feasible to screen all medical admissions to identify individuals at risk of alcohol abuse, to prompt an early brief intervention or referral to an alcohol specialist nurse. 139 Once admitted, alcohol advice delivered by a liver specialist can lead to a high proportion of patients reducing their intake.…”

Who is Sharing Physical Activity, Diet and Weight Loss Information on Twitter? An Exploratory Thematic and Source Analysis of Tweets

“…Credibility of health information disseminated by all tweets may be called into question but, in particular, the credibility of tweets by information intermediaries and non-professionals is more questionable as the risk of health misinformation is inherently higher (8,10). Provision of information from a credible source ("Presenting verbal or visual communication from a credible source…"(21)) has been shown to be an effective behaviour change technique, particularly in digital interventions (21,22). However, on Twitter, credibility is essentially an individual judgement by the follower, and health misinformation from information intermediaries (who present themselves as professionals) is at particular risk of being viewed by the general public as evidence-based science.…”

Commentary on Harder et al. (2020): Ensuring the sustainability of mHealth in low‐ and middle‐income countries—how do we cure ‘pilotitis’?

“…To ensure that impacts are sustained, researchers should consider the wider technological, human resource and health system needs .Harder et al . add to the rapidly growing literature supporting the use of digital technology to reduce heavy drinking . The authors find that motivational interviewing‐based alcohol interventions delivered by mobile phone perform as well as their face‐to‐face alternatives, at least in the short term.…”