Evaluation of the adherence and effectiveness of two versions of the virtual intervention drink less: with and without a complementary online intervention by a professional

• Grant number: 21/00059-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: August 01, 2021
• End date: December 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Psychological Treatment and Prevention
• Principal Investigator: Maria Lucia Oliveira de Souza Formigoni
• Grantee: Micaella Silva Leandro
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: The consumption of alcoholic beverages is associated with the development of a series of diseases, which makes it a serious public health problem. Although there are several interventions based on protocols previously validated by scientific studies, their results are limited. In the last decade, digital interventions aimed at this purpose have gained notoriety. However, adherence, as well as the conclusion of the already existing protocols for digital interventions, is still a challenging issue and lacks new and innovative strategies. Objectives: This study aims to compare two versions of the virtual intervention "Bebermenos": with or without complementary online intervention sessions conducted by a professional in relation to adherence to the program and its effectiveness in reducing problems associated with alcohol use. Material and methods: A software, called "Bebermenos", hosted on the website "informalcool.org.br", will be used, through which a virtual intervention will be made available to reduce problems associated with the use of alcohol, in a fully automated way. A controlled study will be carried out with random allocation for one of two groups (control and experimental) that differ in the offer of three complementary counseling sessions, offered online, carried out by a health professional. Participants will be included, aged 18 years or over, literate, with access to the internet and who reach a minimum score of 8 on the AUDIT screening instrument and who have not been abstaining from alcohol use for more than a month. Instruments such as AUDIT-C, Consumption Diary, AUDIT and the Change Readiness Questionnaire will be used to monitor participants during the six-week intervention period, as well as in an evaluation follow-up carried out six months after the end of interventions. . Therapeutic sessions will follow a pre-established schedule, the first of which will be offered between the 7th and 9th days after entering the study, the second between the 21st and 23rd days and the third between the 35th and 37th days. Expected results: It is expected to increase adherence and the effectiveness of the program in reducing problems associated with alcohol use with the inclusion of intervention sessions mediated by a health professional and to understand the factors that increase or hinder adherence to the program.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SOUZA-FORMIGONI, M. L. O.; BEDENDO, A.; LEANDRO, M. S.. Digital interventions to reduce problems associated with alcohol use among Brazilian college students and adults. ALCOHOL-CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH, v. 47, p. 2-pg., 2023-06-01. (15/19472-5, 21/00926-7, 21/00059-1)