Texting to Reduce Alcohol Misuse (TRAM): main findings from a randomized controlled trial of a text message intervention to reduce binge drinking among disadvantaged men

Iain K Crombie; Linda Irvine; Brian Williams; Falko F. Sniehotta; Dennis Petrie; Claire Jones; John Norrie; Josie M. M. Evans; Carol Emslie; Peter M. Rice; Peter W. Slane; Gerry Humphris; Ian W. Ricketts; Ambrose J. Melson; Peter T. Donnan; Simona M. Hapca; Andrew McKenzie; Marcus Achison

doi:10.1111/add.14229

Texting to Reduce Alcohol Misuse (TRAM): main findings from a randomized controlled trial of a text message intervention to reduce binge drinking among disadvantaged men

Iain K Crombie, Linda Irvine, Brian Williams, Falko F. Sniehotta, Dennis Petrie, Claire Jones, John Norrie, Josie M. M. Evans, Carol Emslie, Peter M. Rice, Peter W. Slane, Gerry Humphris, Ian W. Ricketts, Ambrose J. Melson, Peter T. Donnan, Simona M. Hapca, Andrew McKenzie, Marcus Achison

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

19 Citations (Scopus)

213 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Aims: To test the effectiveness of a theoretically based text-message intervention to reduce binge drinking among socially disadvantaged men.

Design: A multi-centre parallel group, pragmatic, individually randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Community-based study conducted in four regions of Scotland.

Participants: A total of 825 men aged 25-44 years recruited from socially disadvantaged areas who had two or more episodes of binge drinking (> 8 UK units on a single occasion) in the preceding 28 days: 411 men were randomized to the intervention and 414 to the control.

Intervention and comparator: A series of 112 interactive text messages was delivered by mobile phone during a 12-week period. The intervention was structured around the Health Action Process Approach, a comprehensive model which allows integration of a range of evidence-based behaviour change techniques. The control group received 89 texts on general health, with no mention of alcohol or use of behaviour change techniques.

Measurements: The primary outcome measure was the proportion of men consuming > 8 units on three or more occasions (in the previous 28 days) at 12 months post-intervention.

Findings: The proportion of men consuming > 8 units on three or more occasions (in the previous 28 days) was 41.5% in the intervention group and 47.8% in the control group. Formal analysis showed that there was no evidence that the intervention was effective [odds ratio (OR) = 0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.57-1.08; absolute reduction 5.7%, 95% CI = -13.3 to 1.9]. The Bayes factor for this outcome was 1.3, confirming that the results were inconclusive. The retention was high and similar in intervention (84.9%) and control (86.5%) groups. Most men in the intervention group engaged with the text messages: almost all (92%) replied to text messages and 67% replied more than 10 times.

Conclusions: A theoretically based text-messaging intervention aimed at reducing binge drinking in disadvantaged men was not found to reduce prevalence of binge drinking at 12-month follow-up.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1609-1618
Number of pages	10
Journal	Addiction
Volume	113
Issue number	9
Early online date	1 Jun 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/add.14229
Publication status	Published - Sept 2018

Keywords

Binge drinking
community based
deprivation
men
narrative
text message intervention

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Medicine (miscellaneous)
Psychiatry and Mental health

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1111/add.14229Licence: CC BY

Final Published VersionFinal published version, 527 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Crombie, I. K., Irvine, L., Williams, B., Sniehotta, F. F., Petrie, D., Jones, C., Norrie, J., Evans, J. M. M., Emslie, C., Rice, P. M., Slane, P. W., Humphris, G., Ricketts, I. W., Melson, A. J., Donnan, P. T., Hapca, S. M., McKenzie, A., & Achison, M. (2018). Texting to Reduce Alcohol Misuse (TRAM): main findings from a randomized controlled trial of a text message intervention to reduce binge drinking among disadvantaged men. Addiction, 113(9), 1609-1618. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.14229

@article{c99441a071e746ffaa66615805c01f9b,

title = "Texting to Reduce Alcohol Misuse (TRAM): main findings from a randomized controlled trial of a text message intervention to reduce binge drinking among disadvantaged men",

abstract = "Aims: To test the effectiveness of a theoretically based text-message intervention to reduce binge drinking among socially disadvantaged men.Design: A multi-centre parallel group, pragmatic, individually randomized controlled trial.Setting: Community-based study conducted in four regions of Scotland.Participants: A total of 825 men aged 25-44 years recruited from socially disadvantaged areas who had two or more episodes of binge drinking (> 8 UK units on a single occasion) in the preceding 28 days: 411 men were randomized to the intervention and 414 to the control.Intervention and comparator: A series of 112 interactive text messages was delivered by mobile phone during a 12-week period. The intervention was structured around the Health Action Process Approach, a comprehensive model which allows integration of a range of evidence-based behaviour change techniques. The control group received 89 texts on general health, with no mention of alcohol or use of behaviour change techniques.Measurements: The primary outcome measure was the proportion of men consuming > 8 units on three or more occasions (in the previous 28 days) at 12 months post-intervention.Findings: The proportion of men consuming > 8 units on three or more occasions (in the previous 28 days) was 41.5% in the intervention group and 47.8% in the control group. Formal analysis showed that there was no evidence that the intervention was effective [odds ratio (OR) = 0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.57-1.08; absolute reduction 5.7%, 95% CI = -13.3 to 1.9]. The Bayes factor for this outcome was 1.3, confirming that the results were inconclusive. The retention was high and similar in intervention (84.9%) and control (86.5%) groups. Most men in the intervention group engaged with the text messages: almost all (92%) replied to text messages and 67% replied more than 10 times.Conclusions: A theoretically based text-messaging intervention aimed at reducing binge drinking in disadvantaged men was not found to reduce prevalence of binge drinking at 12-month follow-up.",

keywords = "Binge drinking, community based, deprivation, men, narrative, text message intervention",

author = "Crombie, {Iain K} and Linda Irvine and Brian Williams and Sniehotta, {Falko F.} and Dennis Petrie and Claire Jones and John Norrie and Evans, {Josie M. M.} and Carol Emslie and Rice, {Peter M.} and Slane, {Peter W.} and Gerry Humphris and Ricketts, {Ian W.} and Melson, {Ambrose J.} and Donnan, {Peter T.} and Hapca, {Simona M.} and Andrew McKenzie and Marcus Achison",

note = "This study was funded by the NIHR Public Health Research programme (11/3050/30). The views and opinions expressed therein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the PHR programme, NIHR, NHS or the Department of Health.",

year = "2018",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1111/add.14229",

language = "English",

volume = "113",

pages = "1609--1618",

journal = "Addiction",

issn = "0965-2140",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",

number = "9",

}

Crombie, IK , Irvine, L, Williams, B, Sniehotta, FF, Petrie, D, Jones, C, Norrie, J, Evans, JMM, Emslie, C, Rice, PM, Slane, PW, Humphris, G, Ricketts, IW, Melson, AJ, Donnan, PT, Hapca, SM, McKenzie, A & Achison, M 2018, 'Texting to Reduce Alcohol Misuse (TRAM): main findings from a randomized controlled trial of a text message intervention to reduce binge drinking among disadvantaged men', Addiction, vol. 113, no. 9, pp. 1609-1618. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.14229

TY - JOUR

T1 - Texting to Reduce Alcohol Misuse (TRAM)

T2 - main findings from a randomized controlled trial of a text message intervention to reduce binge drinking among disadvantaged men

AU - Crombie, Iain K

AU - Irvine, Linda

AU - Williams, Brian

AU - Sniehotta, Falko F.

AU - Petrie, Dennis

AU - Jones, Claire

AU - Norrie, John

AU - Evans, Josie M. M.

AU - Emslie, Carol

AU - Rice, Peter M.

AU - Slane, Peter W.

AU - Humphris, Gerry

AU - Ricketts, Ian W.

AU - Melson, Ambrose J.

AU - Donnan, Peter T.

AU - Hapca, Simona M.

AU - McKenzie, Andrew

AU - Achison, Marcus

N1 - This study was funded by the NIHR Public Health Research programme (11/3050/30). The views and opinions expressed therein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the PHR programme, NIHR, NHS or the Department of Health.

PY - 2018/9

Y1 - 2018/9

N2 - Aims: To test the effectiveness of a theoretically based text-message intervention to reduce binge drinking among socially disadvantaged men.Design: A multi-centre parallel group, pragmatic, individually randomized controlled trial.Setting: Community-based study conducted in four regions of Scotland.Participants: A total of 825 men aged 25-44 years recruited from socially disadvantaged areas who had two or more episodes of binge drinking (> 8 UK units on a single occasion) in the preceding 28 days: 411 men were randomized to the intervention and 414 to the control.Intervention and comparator: A series of 112 interactive text messages was delivered by mobile phone during a 12-week period. The intervention was structured around the Health Action Process Approach, a comprehensive model which allows integration of a range of evidence-based behaviour change techniques. The control group received 89 texts on general health, with no mention of alcohol or use of behaviour change techniques.Measurements: The primary outcome measure was the proportion of men consuming > 8 units on three or more occasions (in the previous 28 days) at 12 months post-intervention.Findings: The proportion of men consuming > 8 units on three or more occasions (in the previous 28 days) was 41.5% in the intervention group and 47.8% in the control group. Formal analysis showed that there was no evidence that the intervention was effective [odds ratio (OR) = 0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.57-1.08; absolute reduction 5.7%, 95% CI = -13.3 to 1.9]. The Bayes factor for this outcome was 1.3, confirming that the results were inconclusive. The retention was high and similar in intervention (84.9%) and control (86.5%) groups. Most men in the intervention group engaged with the text messages: almost all (92%) replied to text messages and 67% replied more than 10 times.Conclusions: A theoretically based text-messaging intervention aimed at reducing binge drinking in disadvantaged men was not found to reduce prevalence of binge drinking at 12-month follow-up.

AB - Aims: To test the effectiveness of a theoretically based text-message intervention to reduce binge drinking among socially disadvantaged men.Design: A multi-centre parallel group, pragmatic, individually randomized controlled trial.Setting: Community-based study conducted in four regions of Scotland.Participants: A total of 825 men aged 25-44 years recruited from socially disadvantaged areas who had two or more episodes of binge drinking (> 8 UK units on a single occasion) in the preceding 28 days: 411 men were randomized to the intervention and 414 to the control.Intervention and comparator: A series of 112 interactive text messages was delivered by mobile phone during a 12-week period. The intervention was structured around the Health Action Process Approach, a comprehensive model which allows integration of a range of evidence-based behaviour change techniques. The control group received 89 texts on general health, with no mention of alcohol or use of behaviour change techniques.Measurements: The primary outcome measure was the proportion of men consuming > 8 units on three or more occasions (in the previous 28 days) at 12 months post-intervention.Findings: The proportion of men consuming > 8 units on three or more occasions (in the previous 28 days) was 41.5% in the intervention group and 47.8% in the control group. Formal analysis showed that there was no evidence that the intervention was effective [odds ratio (OR) = 0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.57-1.08; absolute reduction 5.7%, 95% CI = -13.3 to 1.9]. The Bayes factor for this outcome was 1.3, confirming that the results were inconclusive. The retention was high and similar in intervention (84.9%) and control (86.5%) groups. Most men in the intervention group engaged with the text messages: almost all (92%) replied to text messages and 67% replied more than 10 times.Conclusions: A theoretically based text-messaging intervention aimed at reducing binge drinking in disadvantaged men was not found to reduce prevalence of binge drinking at 12-month follow-up.

KW - Binge drinking

KW - community based

KW - deprivation

KW - men

KW - narrative

KW - text message intervention

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85051077986&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/add.14229

DO - 10.1111/add.14229

M3 - Article

C2 - 29855105

SN - 0965-2140

VL - 113

SP - 1609

EP - 1618

JO - Addiction

JF - Addiction

IS - 9

ER -

Texting to Reduce Alcohol Misuse (TRAM): main findings from a randomized controlled trial of a text message intervention to reduce binge drinking among disadvantaged men

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Reducing Binge Drinking Among Disadvantaged Men Through a Brief Intervention Delivered by Mobile Phone: A Multi Centre Study (Joint with Universities of Stirling, Newcastle, Aberdeen, St Andrews and Glasgow Caledonian University)

Crombie, Iain

Health Informatics Centre

Cite this

Texting to Reduce Alcohol Misuse (TRAM): main findings from a randomized controlled trial of a text message intervention to reduce binge drinking among disadvantaged men

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

Reducing Binge Drinking Among Disadvantaged Men Through a Brief Intervention Delivered by Mobile Phone: A Multi Centre Study (Joint with Universities of Stirling, Newcastle, Aberdeen, St Andrews and Glasgow Caledonian University)

Profiles

Crombie, Iain

Equipment

Health Informatics Centre

Cite this