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Brief interventions to prevent excessive alcohol use in adolescents at low-risk presenting to Emergency Departments: Three-arm, randomised trial of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness

Paolo Deluca, Simon Coulton, Mohammed Fasihul Alam, Sadie Boniface, David Cohen, Kim Donoghue, Eilish Gilvarry, Eileen Kaner, Ian Maconochie, Paul McArdle, Ruth McGovern, Dorothy Newbury-Birch, Robert Patton, Tracy Pellatt-Higgins, Ceri Phillips, Thomas Phillips, Rhys Pockett Orcid Logo, Ian Russell Orcid Logo, John Strang, Colin Drummond

International Journal of Drug Policy, Volume: 93, Start page: 103113

Swansea University Authors: Ceri Phillips, Rhys Pockett Orcid Logo, Ian Russell Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103113

Abstract

BackgroundAlcohol consumption and related harm increase rapidly from the age of 12 years. We evaluated whether alcohol screening and brief intervention is effective and cost-effective in delaying hazardous or harmful drinking amongst low-risk or abstaining adolescents attending Emergency Departments...

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Published in: International Journal of Drug Policy
ISSN: 0955-3959
Published: Elsevier BV 2021
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa56102
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Abstract: BackgroundAlcohol consumption and related harm increase rapidly from the age of 12 years. We evaluated whether alcohol screening and brief intervention is effective and cost-effective in delaying hazardous or harmful drinking amongst low-risk or abstaining adolescents attending Emergency Departments (EDs).MethodsThis ten-centre, three-arm, parallel-group, single-blind, pragmatic, individually randomised trial screened ED attenders aged between 14 and 17 years for alcohol consumption. We sampled at random one third of those scoring at most 2 on AUDIT-C who had access to the internet and, if aged under 16, were Gillick competent or had informed consent from parent or guardian. We randomised them between: screening only (control intervention); one session of face-to-face Personalised Feedback and Brief Advice (PFBA); and PFBA plus an electronic brief intervention (eBI) on smartphone or web. We conducted follow-up after six and 12 months. The principal outcomes were alcohol consumed over the 3 months before 12-month follow up, measured by AUDIT-C; and quality-adjusted life-years.FindingsBetween October 2014 and May 2015, we approached 5,016 eligible patients of whom 3,326 consented to be screened and participate in the trial; 2,571 of these were low-risk drinkers or abstainers, consuming an average 0.14 units per week. We randomised: 304 to screening only; 285 to PFBA; and 294 to PFBA and eBI. We found no significant difference between groups, notably in weekly alcohol consumption: those receiving screening only drank 0.10 units (95% confidence interval 0.05 to 0.18); PFBA 0.12 (0.06 to 0.21); PFBA and eBI 0.10 (0.05 to 0.19).InterpretationWhile drinking levels remained low in this population, this trial found no evidence that PFBA with or without eBI was more effective than screening alone in reducing or delaying alcohol consumption.
Keywords: Alcohol; Alcohol screening; Brief intervention; Electronic brief intervention; Adolescent; Low risk; Emergency department; Randomised controlled trial; Effectiveness; Cost-effectiveness
College: Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
Funders: NIHR
Start Page: 103113

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