The overarching objective of this proposal is to conduct a randomized trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the Individual Well-Being Navigator (Iwin) mobile application, a substance abuse prevention and well-being enhancement program designed specifically for military personnel, veterans, and military spouses. Iwin provides an innovative, tailored mobile application using best practices in behavior change science and innovative technology to assist users in preventing substance abuse and enhancing well-being by providing them with the most appropriate intervention content at the right time. It integrates Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change based tailoring, in app messaging, stage of change matched activities, and engaging game-like features in a cutting edge multiple behavior change program. The efficacy of the Iwin program will be determined by tests of statistical significance indicating that participants in the Treatment condition had lower scores on an index of substance use and other behavioral risks. The overall design is a 2 group (treatment and control group) by 3 Occasions with repeated measures across occasions.
The overarching objective of this project is to conduct a randomized trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the Individual Well-Being Navigator (Iwin) mobile application, a substance abuse prevention and well-being enhancement program designed specifically for military personnel, veterans, and military spouses. Military personnel, veterans, and military spouses recruited will be asked to complete a series of screening questions on their personal mobile devices. An estimated 476 Personnel will need to be screened to arrive at an eligible sample of 238. Randomization of the eligible sample will occur within the online baseline assessment at the individual level as soon as a participant completes the Informed Consent form. Those randomized to the Control Group (n=119) will complete assessments at baseline, 6 months, and 9 months. Additionally, the control group will complete a short survey unrelated to the study behaviors at 4 and 5 months to match incentives given to the intervention group. Those randomized to the Intervention Group (n=119) will complete the same schedule of assessments as the control group and in addition will have access to the Iwin application (app) in between the baseline and 6 month assessments. The assessments include a variety of questions on health, wellness, substance use and well-being. Users randomized into the intervention group will be able to download the Iwin app for free onto their personal device. The Pro-Change Iwin application has been built using the IMS Health AppNucleus™ Platform. AppNucleus is a patented, federally certified (FIPS 140-2, DIACAP MAC II Sensitive), secure application platform that enables Pro-Change to rapidly deploy secure mHealth solutions to users via web portal and commercial mobile technologies (such as iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry). The application provides an innovative, tailored program using best practices in behavior change science and innovative technology to assist users in preventing substance abuse and enhancing well-being by providing them with the most appropriate intervention content at the right time for their individual needs. It delivers assessments and tailored feedback immediately on eleven different risk behaviors as well as mobile interactive staged matched activities, engaging game-like features and in-app notifications on each behavior they are at risk for over the course of 6 months. The app will provide reminders for users to return to the program as set time points. Both intervention and control participants will receive e-mail reminders to complete follow-up assessments at 6 and 9 months. PRIVACY All information shared with us will be kept confidential to the extent provided by law. Names will not be connected to survey answers. Instead, a code will be used in place of a name in the research study records. Access to the research records will be limited to the research study team. The research records will be deleted three years after the submission of the final financial report in accordance with OMB Circular A-110. To help us protect participant privacy, we have obtained a Certificate of Confidentiality from the National Institutes of Health. The researchers can use this Certificate to legally refuse to disclose information that may identify a participant in any federal, state, or local civil, criminal, administrative, legislative, or other proceedings, for example, if there is a court subpoena. The researchers will use the Certificate to resist any demands for information that would identify a partcipant. There is one exception to the promise of confidentiality: if we see or are told that someone is planning to harm themselves or someone else, we will disclose this information to the proper authorities. The Certificate cannot be used to resist a demand for information from personnel of the United States federal or state government agency sponsoring the project and that will be used for auditing or program evaluation of agency funded projects or for information that must be disclosed in order to meet the requirements of the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A Certificate of Confidentiality does not prevent a participant or a member of their family from voluntarily releasing information about the participant or their involvement in this research. If an insurer, medical care provider, or other person obtains a participants written consent to receive research information, then the researchers will not use the Certificate to withhold that information.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
253
Immediately following the baseline assessment, the Intervention Group will receive a secure link to download the IWin app. The app provides three types of integrated interventions: 1) stage-matched feedback on the participant's risk behaviors as determined via the assessments; 2) up to two in app messages a day determined by a series of algorithms that control the timing, content, and cadence of the messages; and 3) up to two prompts a week to complete stage-matched activities that foster behavior change (e.g., quizzes, calculators, guided visualizations, info-graphics, testimonials, and more).
RallyPoint.com
Watertown, Massachusetts, United States
Military Media Inc.
Poughkeepsie, New York, United States
Pro-Change Behavior Systems, Inc.
South Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States
Pilot Media
Norfolk, Virginia, United States
Health Risk Behaviors Index
Assesses risk status and stage of change for eleven health risk behaviors including: smoking, alcohol (risky drinking), financial well-being, other substance use, stress management, pain management, depression management, sleep management, regular exercise). Previous research has used this measure as an indicator of the effectiveness of an intervention for overall multiple behavior change.
Time frame: Baseline, 6 and 9 months
The Assist
The ASSIST (Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test) is an 8 item questionnaire that takes about 5-10 minutes to complete. Originally developed by the World Health Organization primarily for use in primary care settings to identify patients who substance use may be classified as moderate level, it has been adapted in a range of studies for use in other populations and research . This tool has also been adapted by NIDA and published online as a tool for clinicians. It screens for problem or risky use of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, ATS, sedatives, hallucinogens, inhalants, opioids, and other drugs. A risk score is developed for each category, as well as an overall risk score . Previous studies have used changes in this score as at test of effectiveness of interventions successfully.
Time frame: Baseline, 6 and 9 months
Progress to the Action stage for smoking cessation
Will only be assessed among patients smoking at baseline (exploratory analysis; study is not powered to find significance)
Time frame: Baseline, 6 and 9 months
Change in Well-Being
Change in well-being will be computed by taking the difference in the Cantril Self-Anchoring Scale (Cantril, 1965) from baseline to 12 months follow-up. The measure asks participants to imagine a ladder with steps numbered from zero to ten, with the top representing the best possible life and the bottom representing the worst possible life, and to indicate where they feel their life falls currently and where it will be in five years.
Time frame: Baseline, 6 and 9 months
Progress to the Action stage for drinking within recommended limits
Will only be assessed among patients exceeding recommended limits at baseline (exploratory analysis; study is not powered to find significance)
Time frame: Baseline, 6 and 9 months
Progress to the Action stage for meeting national guidelines for physical activity
Will only be assessed among patients not meeting national guidelines for physical activity at baseline (exploratory analysis; study is not powered to find significance)
Time frame: Baseline, 6 and 9 months
Progress to the Action stage for managing depression
Will only be assessed among patients with at least mild depression (PHQ-8 score of 5 or higher) at baseline (exploratory analysis; study is not powered to find significance)
Time frame: Baseline, 6 and 9 months
Progress to the Action stage for drug use
Will only be assessed among those indicating drug use at baseline (exploratory analysis; study is not powered to find significance)
Time frame: Baseline, 6 and 9 months
Progress to the Action stage sleep management
Will only be assessed among patients not meeting recommended hours at baseline (exploratory analysis; study is not powered to find significance)
Time frame: Baseline, 6 and 9 months
Progress to the Action stage stress management
Will only be assessed among patients not managing their stress effectively at baseline (exploratory analysis; study is not powered to find significance)
Time frame: Baseline, 6 and 9 months
Change in level of depression
Will be assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) (Kroenke, Strine, Spritzer, Williams, Berry, \& Mokdad, 2009) only among patients with at least mild depression (PHQ-8 score of 5 or higher) at baseline (exploratory analysis; study is not powered to find significance)
Time frame: Baseline, 6 and 9 months
WHO-5 Well-being Index
The 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) is among the most widely used questionnaires assessing subjective psychological well-being.
Time frame: Baseline, 6 and 9 months
Brief Resilience Scale (BRS)
The BRS is a reliable means of assessing resilience as the ability to bounce back or recover from stress.
Time frame: Baseline, 6 and 9 months
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