Comparing Electronic App-Based and In-Person Brief Interventions to Reduce Risky Alcohol Use in Adults A Study in Mexico and South Africa

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating two approaches to deliver brief interventions aimed at people whose Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test AUDIT scores indicate potentially unhealthy alcohol use. This study compares the effectiveness of an electronic brief intervention eBI delivered via an app on a handheld device with a traditional face-to-face brief intervention conducted by trained health educators. The study is designed as a non-inferiority trial to determine if the electronic method is at least as effective as the in-person approach in reducing alcohol consumption and related risky behaviors. Participants will be randomly assigned by week to receive either the electronic brief intervention through an app or the traditional in-person brief intervention. The interventions provide personal feedback on drinking risk levels and guidance to develop realistic plans to reduce alcohol consumption. The study is conducted in hospitals and clinics in Zacatecas, Mexico, and Alexandra Township, South Africa, involving patients who score 8 or higher on the AUDIT and have not been screened in the past six months. Participants will complete an initial alcohol screening and a brief survey including demographic and alcohol use questions. Follow-up surveys will be completed at 3 and 6 months to monitor changes in alcohol consumption patterns. The main outcomes measured include average daily quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption within the last 30 days, along with other related measures such as maximum drinking quantity, frequency of heavy drinking episodes, and total AUDIT scores. Incentives are provided for survey completion, and contact information is collected to facilitate follow-up.

A Non-Inferiority Trial of an Electronic vs Face-to-face Brief Intervention After Alcohol Screening in Two Countries