Alcohol is a major modifiable risk factor for breast cancer in women, yet this is not widely understood by health practitioners or policy makers, let alone the general population. The investigators aim to test the effects of a targeted alcohol and lifestyle brief intervention for women attending breast screening services, to improve knowledge of alcohol as a risk factor for breast cancer and reduce harmful alcohol use.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
558
Nested within the lifestyle health promotion provided in both conditions, participants randomised to the experimental condition will receive an alcohol brief intervention. The strong evidence-base for alcohol brief intervention, amplified by Co-Investigators' Smith and Bragge's (BehaviourWorks) approaches to applied behaviour change, has provided the framework for the development of the alcohol brief intervention used in this study. This intervention comprises personalised feedback on alcohol consumption levels, comparison to gender/age drinking norms, and information and behaviour-change content regarding alcohol consumption (i.e. negative-framed messaging around alcohol risks and harms, positive-framed messaging on the health benefits of reducing alcohol intake, alcohol harm reduction strategies).
Lifestyle health promotion specific to physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight, developed to be relevant to women attending breast screening services, will be provided.
Maroondah BreastScreen
Ringwood East, Victoria, Australia
Knowledge of alcohol as a breast cancer risk factor
Proportion of participants accurately identifying alcohol as a clear risk factor for breast cancer
Time frame: 4-weeks post-randomisation
Drinking within current Australian Alcohol Guidelines
Proportion of participants drinking less than or equal to 10 standard drinks per week (within current Australian Alcohol Guidelines) (14-day Timeline Followback, TLFB)
Time frame: 4-weeks and 3-months post-randomisation
Drinking within current Australian Alcohol Guidelines (among participants who drink more than 10 standard drinks per week)
Among participants who drink more than 10 standard drinks per week at baseline: Proportion of participants drinking less than or equal to 10 standard drinks per week. (14-day TLFB)
Time frame: 4-weeks and 3-months post-randomisation
Alcohol consumption
Change in alcohol consumption (14-day TLFB; AIHW alcohol frequency quantity items)
Time frame: 4-weeks and 3-months post-randomisation
Alcohol consumption (among participants who drink more than 10 standard drinks per week)
Among participants who drink more than 10 standard drinks per week at baseline: Change in alcohol consumption (14-day TLFB; AIHW alcohol frequency quantity items)
Time frame: 4-weeks and 3-months post-randomisation
Health literacy - attitudes
Change in participants' attitudes regarding alcohol and breast cancer risk (5-point scale, strongly agree to strongly disagree; items adapted from previous literature, e.g. Fisher et al. 2017)
Time frame: 4-weeks post-randomisation
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Health literacy - knowledge
Proportion of participants accurately identifying i) the amount of alcohol in an Australian standard drink; ii) the number of standard drinks in an average restaurant serve of red wine; iii) the maximum number of standard drinks per week recommended by current Australian Alcohol Guidelines (multiple choice and open-ended questions, adapted from previous literature, e.g. Bowden et al. 2014)
Time frame: 4-weeks post-randomisation
Health literacy - access to health information
Proportion of participants who have accessed health information on i) alcohol harms, ii) alcohol and breast cancer risk, and iii) alcohol harm-reduction
Time frame: 4-weeks post-randomisation
General health
Change in general health (SF-12)
Time frame: 4-weeks and 3-months post-randomisation
Quality of life
Change in quality of life (EUROHIS-QOL single item)
Time frame: 4-weeks and 3-months post-randomisation