Online education hubs and Chat-based text messaging for reducing alcohol consumption and binge drinking in adolescents: A pilot randomized controlled trial

It is urged to alleviate the problem before it become worse. Department of Health in Hong Kong developed 3 information hubs (Alcohol Fails, Young and Alcohol Free and Understanding Alcohol Harm) to distribute alcohol-related messages, such as binge drinking. Yet, it lacks interactive and individualized elements, which makes it difficult to attract secondary school students to search for information. Our previous research also reveals that more than 80% of the respondents are willing to receive message reminders for controlling or avoiding binge drinking. They also suggest that those messages should include drinking limits, health risks, psychological support, and alternative activities. It proves that an interactive and personalized intervention package should be included in secondary school in terms of binge drinking prevention. This could be a research gap to investigate in this project.

We expect that this study result would demonstrate the main effects of the interventions, including mHealth text messaging, and online platform hub. By analyzing those intervention results, we could deeply understand the effective methods to lower the risk of young adult binge drinking phenomenon. We could provide more precise interventions to secondary school students. This study will also prepare for future RCTs to explore the possibility on the integration of other intervention components or factors for binge drinking prevention research. In the long run, the proportion of binge drinking in population and young-aged will be lowered. Department of Health or other future research could implement this intervention as a fundamental to enhance the effectiveness of the alcohol control intervention.

A pilot 2-arm, parallel, open-labelled randomized controlled trial randomly allocated participants (1:1 ratio) to intervention and control groups. The intervention group has 2 intervention components: (1) Online information hub (compulsory: game), (2) mHealth text messaging at last to people who needed (Audit score >7). The control group will receive self-help materials during the same period. The sample size is 100 participants (50 for each group).

100 ever-drinkers will be recruited from the secondary schools through online and offline. Study information will be disseminated via online advertisements, mass emails, and in-person interactions at schools in various districts, including New Territories, Kowloon, and Hong Kong Island. Interested participants can enroll by completing an online application form using Qualtrics or Google form).

During offline recruitment sessions, staff will approach secondary school students and their parents (if the participants are under 18 years old) to obtain consent and have them complete a baseline questionnaire for further contact and intervention delivery.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. being a Hong Kong resident aged between 12-18 years;
2. having consumed alcohol in the past 12-month;
3. Using WhatsApp in their cell phone.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. cannot communicate in Cantonese or read Chinese;
2. currently using other alcohol control programs.

Research data and documentation will be available upon request

3 years after the completion of the relevant publications

open-labelled RCT