This study aims to develop and pilot test the efficacy of a "Drinking Dashboard" providing participants weekly feedback on the risk factors and consequences of blackout.
Approximately 50% of young adults who drink alcohol experience alcohol-induced "blackouts," defined as permanent (en bloc) or temporary (fragmentary) memory loss for events that occurred while they are drinking. This experience of alcohol-induced blackout is associated prospectively with alcohol-related harm, including emergency room visits and sexual coercion, with medical care costs exceeding $469,000 per year. While young adults who have recently experienced a blackout report less favorable evaluations of drinking events and increased motivation to decrease their drinking, they do not actually change their drinking behavior as a result of the blackout alone. Collectively, these data suggest that blackouts may serve as an opportunity for intervention, after which young adults are more likely to respond to alcohol feedback. This R34 aims to develop an intervention tailored to individuals who experience blackouts. In the trial phase, 162 young adults (50% female, ≥50% non-college) who report a history of blackout will be randomly assigned to receive the intervention (n=81) or assessment only (n=81). Outcomes will be assessed immediately post-intervention and at 3-month follow-up.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
169
Day-level feedback on alcohol use and consequences
University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, Missouri, United States
Recruitment
% of screened participants who (yes/no) complete the baseline assessment (no specific tool)
Time frame: Baseline
Retention
% of randomized participants who (yes/no) complete 3-month follow-up assessment (no specific tool)
Time frame: 3-month follow-up
Acceptability
Measured using the 8-item Client Satisfaction Questionnaire. Scored from 1 to 4, with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction with treatment.
Time frame: 1 month follow-up
Frequency of high-intensity drinking
Measured using the Daily Drinking Questionnaire, which asks participants to indicate how many standard drinks they consumed on each day of a typical week in the past month.
Time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (1 and 3 months)
Peak BAC
Measured using the Daily Drinking Questionnaire, which asks participants to indicate the maximum number of drinks consumed on one occasion in the past month.
Time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (1 and 3 months)
Frequency of blackouts
Measured using the 8-item Alcohol-Induced Blackout Measure-2 (ABOM-2). Items are scored from 0 to 4, with higher scores indicating more frequent blackout experiences.
Time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (1 and 3 months)
Alcohol-related consequences
Measured using the 24-item Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (BYAACQ). Items scores yes/no, with higher scores indicating a greater number of consequences in the past month.
Time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (1 and 3 months)
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Sexual coercion
% of people indicating they (a) were coerced into sexual activity or (b) coerced someone else into sexual activity in the past 3 months
Time frame: Difference in likelihood baseline vs 3 months
Emergency department visits
% of people indicating they visited the emergency department in the past 3 months
Time frame: Difference in likelihood baseline vs 3 months
Blackout susceptibility
How likely is it that you will lose memory of drinking events as a result of alcohol use in the next 30 days? Scored on a Likert scale, with higher scores indicating more susceptibility.
Time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (1 and 3 months)
Blackout severity
If I were to have a blackout, bad things would happen. Scored on a Likert scale, with higher scores indicating more negative attitudes.
Time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (1 and 3 months)
Costs/benefits of drinking
Measured using the Cunningham et al. (1997) scale of 16 benefits and 16 costs of decreasing alcohol use. Responses range 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (1 and 3 months)
Blackout self-efficacy
% confidence that participants could avoid a blackout, if they wanted to do so
Time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (1 and 3 months)
Sleep disturbance
Measured using the Insomnia Severity Index. Items scored 0 to 4, with higher scores indicating more severe insomnia.
Time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (1 and 3 months)
Mood
Measured using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Scores range 1 (very slightly or not at all) to 5 (extremely), with higher scores indicating more positive/negative mood.
Time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (1 and 3 months)