None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Australian and international research has found that same-sex attracted women (SSAW) are more likely to drink at higher levels than heterosexual women. Yet despite this evidence, limited research has focused on interventions specifically for SSAW to facilitate alcohol reduction. The absence of evidence-based services for SSAW is problematic as the current mainstream services assume the needs of SSAW match those of heterosexual women. Consequently, many SSAW are not receiving appropriate treatment and are left feeling frustrated and invisible. Therefore, this project will explore the efficacy of a short message service (SMS) intervention tailored to SSAW to reduce alcohol use, improve well-being, and increase help-seeking. To do this, two studies are proposed. The first study was approved by Deakin University Human Ethics Advisory Group, Faculty of Health (reference number HEAG-H 111_2016). It involved developing the content for the SMS alcohol intervention tailored to SSAW by designing and presenting SMS messages and the structure of the SMS intervention to two focus groups of SSAW, and using their feedback to inform the final SMS messages and intervention. The second study will involve conducting a Randomised Controlled Trial to implement and evaluate the intervention. This trial registration pertains to the second study; that is, the implementation and evaluation of the SMS alcohol intervention tailored to SSAW. The intervention and control groups will receive messages for four weeks and will provide follow-up data relating to their alcohol two time points after they have completed the intervention - post-intervention and 12 week follow-up. It is hypothesised that participants receiving the SMS alcohol intervention will report lower alcohol intake at intervention completion and 3 months post intervention than participants not receiving the SMS alcohol intervention.
Interventions
The intervention is a short message service (SMS) alcohol intervention tailored to same-sex attracted women (SSAW). The messages in the intervention were developed by Rachel Bush and approved by SSAW and an expert panel. The intervention has three performance objectives: (1) alcohol reduction, (2) Improve well-being, (3) increase help-seeking. These will be achieved by addressing four behavioural determinants which were selected after conducting a comprehensive needs assessment: (1) social suppo
The intervention is a short message service (SMS) alcohol intervention tailored to same-sex attracted women (SSAW). The messages in the intervention were developed by Rachel Bush and approved by SSAW and an expert panel. The intervention has three performance objectives: (1) alcohol reduction, (2) Improve well-being, (3) increase help-seeking. These will be achieved by addressing four behavioural determinants which were selected after conducting a comprehensive needs assessment: (1) social support, (2) motivation to change, (3) mental health, (4) resilience. The intervention consists of 37 messages which will be delivered over four weeks. One message will be sent in the afternoon on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and two messages will be sent in the afternoon and evening on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Every Sunday, the message will ask participants to respond with the number of standard drinks they have consumed in the last seven days. The messages will be sent using an Australian SMS platform, MessageMedia, and delivered by Rachel Bush who is a PhD candidate. Each message delivered Mondays to Saturdays will be different. On Sundays the message will ask participants, "Text back the number of standard drinks you’ve had in the last 7 days. Use the drink chart in the welcome email or the SayWhen online calculator: goo.gl/0xJxbi". Messages delivered Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays are factual and/or provide links to resources. Example messages are "A professional psychologist can help you learn new ways to cope with problems in your life rather than using alcohol: www.psychology.org.au/FindaPsychologist" and "Seeking support can help you identify or relearn healthy coping strategies. Visit or call QLife for support and referrals: qlife.org.au/support/ or 1800184527". Messages delivered Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays provide suggestions for limiting alcohol use and prompt the recipient to reflect on ways to reduce their alcohol use. Example messages are, "It may be difficult to control the amount you drink when you’re out with your partner or friends. Set a limit before you go out" and "Decide how many drinks you want tonight and put that number of coins in your pocket. Move one across to the other pocket with each drink to help keep track."
Sponsors
Dr Rhonda Brown
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Subject)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
A woman (including lesbian, bisexual, queer, and gender diverse women). Identify as a same-sex attracted woman. Aged 18 years or over. Score 8 or above on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Own a mobile phone. Have access to the internet.
Exclusion criteria
Failure to confirm email address and mobile phone number by responding to welcome email and SMS message.
Outcome results
None listed