Digitally Prompted Parenting: A Text Message Parent-Based Alcohol Intervention for Incoming College Students

Loyola Marymount University276 enrolled

Overview

This pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) will evaluate both the feasibility and efficacy of Digitally Prompted Parenting (DPP), a text-message based parent intervention (tm-PBI) designed to prevent and reduce alcohol use among first-year college students. In this study, parents of incoming first-year students will receive risk-reducing text messages during the first 10 weeks of the Fall semester, which they can forward to their students. The trial uses a longitudinal design to compare drinking outcomes between students whose parents receive the DPP messages and those whose parents receive an established alcohol PBI (the active control condition). The investigators hypothesize that students in the DPP group will report lower levels of alcohol use and fewer alcohol-related consequences after the intervention compared to those in the active control group.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

276

Conditions

Underage Drinking

Interventions

Parents will receive an email invitation to sign up for Digitally Prompted Parenting, a text message-delivered PBI. Parents set up an account and input information about themselves and their student, which will customize the text messages they receive. Parents will receive at least two text prompts per week for the first 10 weeks of their student's first semester in college. These texts will (1) prompt parents to call their student to discuss the past week and week ahead, and (2) prompt parents to send an alcohol-specific risk reducing text to their student.

Active ControlBEHAVIORAL

Parents will receive an email that explains the Parent Handbook intervention and includes a link to a website where the Handbook is embedded. They will also receive three booster emails summarizing the key points of the intervention. Parents can review both the Parent Handbook and the booster emails at their own pace.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 17 YearsMax age: 20 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Student is 17-20 years of age * Student is an LMU incoming first-year college student * Student has access to a cellular device capable of receiving text messages * Student's parent or legal guardian has an email address on file at LMU * Student's parent or legal guardian has a cellular device capable of receiving text messages * Student's parent or legal guardian received an invitation from the research team to participate * Student's parent or legal guardian signed up to access the assigned intervention * Student's parent or legal guardian is a resident of the United States * Informed consent (or assent, as applicable) is provided Exclusion Criteria: * Student is not 17-20 years of age * Student is not an LMU incoming first-year college student * Student does not have access to a cellular device capable of receiving text messages * Student's parent or legal guardian does not have an email address on file at LMU * Student's parent or legal guardian does not have a cellular device capable of receiving text messages * Student's parent or legal guardian did not receive an invitation from the research team to participate * Student's parent or legal guardian did not sign up to access the assigned intervention * Student's parent or legal guardian is not a resident of the United States * Informed consent (or assent, as applicable) is not provided