Alcohol Brief Intervention Plus Personalized Mobile Chat-based Intervention for High-risk Drinking University Students

A Pilot Study on the Feasibility of Alcohol Brief Intervention Plus Personalized Mobile Chat-based Intervention to Reduce High-risk Drinking Among University Students in Hong Kong

The aims of this pilot study are:

1. To examine the factors associated with alcohol drinking and alcohol use disorder
2. To examine the effect of face-to-face alcohol brief intervention on drinking reduction
3. To examine the effect of a continuous interactive chat-based intervention via "WhatsApp" on drinking reduction
4. To explore the perception of face-to-face alcohol brief intervention
5. To explore the perception of continuous interactive chat-based intervention via instant messaging mobile application "WhatsApp"

According to the Department of Health, majority of people in Hong Kong started to develop drinking habit at 18-21 years of age in 2014/2015. Amongst them, 16.8% had scored higher than 3 in the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test for Consumption (AUDIT-C) (an abbreviated version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, or AUDIT, designed by the World Health Organization(WHO)), while 3.5% had even scored 8 or above in the test. With higher prevalence to begin drinking within 18 and 23 years old, university students could have established higher tendency of harmful drinking and alcohol dependence as compared with other age groups. Therefore, early interventions such as the evidence-based Alcohol Brief Intervention (ABI) suggested by the WHO are particularly needed to target university drinkers who are 5% more likely to develop higher frequency of drinking in later of their lives compared with other age groups.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Hong Kong resident aged 18 to 26 inclusive
• Scored 5-19 inclusive in the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT)
• Able to communicate in Chinese and read Chinese
• Using a phone with instant messaging mobile application "WhatsApp" installed for communication

Exclusion Criteria:

• Students with communication barrier (either physically or cognitively)
• Currently participating in other alcohol treatment services or clinics.