Testing a Smartphone Breathalyzer and BAC Estimator in Young Adult Heavy Drinkers

 描述(由申请人提供)：保护性行为策略(PBS)是用于限制饮酒和/或减少相关负面后果的技术。虽然使用PBS通常与适度饮酒有关，但一些策略可能比其他策略具有更强的保护作用。这些发现以及对以PBS为重点的干预研究的混合结果表明，辅导员教授PBS的方式和/或年轻人实施它们的方式可能存在局限性。有限地使用具体工具来促进公共广播系统的使用可能是这种限制之一。基于技术的工具(TBT)对于PBS的使用有两个优势：1)年轻人对用于健康目的的技术感兴趣；2)他们熟练地使用技术。智能手机应用程序(App)前景看好，但研究不足。有助于降低血液酒精含量(BAC)的应用程序将特别有价值。我们将比较两款BAC监测应用程序和基于手机的饮酒计数控制条件，作为BAC重点咨询的辅助工具，以减少酒精自我给药的效果。其中一款应用是酒精测定仪，它可以使用智能手机上的设备来产生准确的读数。第二个应用程序根据性别、体重、经过的时间和饮酒量得出BAC估计。虽然呼气测定仪应用程序提供了很高的准确性，但一些年轻人可能会对向设备吹气感到不安。在受试者之间，我们将随机选择大量饮酒的年轻人(N=99)，接受简短的咨询加上3个TBT中的1个(呼气测定仪、BAC估计仪、对照条件)，他们将在3小时的实验室酒精自我给药期间使用。由于对酒精影响敏感的认知/精神运动任务表现不佳而减薪，抑制了饮酒期间的过度饮酒。参与者可以在技术性贸易壁垒的帮助下避免减薪。在3小时内的最高估计BAC和饮酒量将是主要结果。在饮酒后，参与者将被给予所有3种TBT，让他们在现场单独使用2周，以评估在使用每种TBT的同时饮酒情况；作为探索目标对每种TBT的偏好和可接受性。实验室酒精自我给药范例虽然经常用于测试药物，但在测试行为干预方面一直没有得到充分利用。实验室范式在PBS的研究中提供了优势，包括直接测量PBS的使用及其与酒精消费的关系，减少了对自我报告的重视。我们假设，与饮酒计数控制条件相比，随机进入与BAC相关的APP条件的参与者在饮酒过程中喝啤酒的量会显著减少，估计的BAC峰值会更低。我们还将根据参与者在会议期间和受试者内部的经验，根据他们在两周现场使用期间的经验，比较3个任务型测试对受试者之间的可接受性和未来使用的可能性的评级。我们还将按性别测试所有结果的交互作用。与BAC相关的应用程序可能会以最小的努力大幅减少饮酒量。潜在的公共健康影响是巨大的，因为酒精使用障碍在这一人群中普遍存在，而且寻求治疗的频率很低。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Protective behavioral strategies (PBS) are techniques used to limit alcohol use and/or curtail related negative consequences. While PBS use is generally associated with more moderate drinking, some strategies may have stronger protective effects than others. These findings along with mixed results from studies of PBS- focused interventions suggest there may be limitations in the ways counselors have taught PBS and/or ways young adults implement them. Limited use of concrete tools to facilitate PBS use may be one such limitation. Technology-based tools (TBTs) have 2 advantages for PBS use: 1) young adults are interested in technology for health purposes; 2) they are skilled at technology use. Smartphone applications (apps) are promising but under-researched. Apps that facilitate lowering of blood alcohol content (BAC) would be particularly valuable. We will compare 2 BAC monitoring apps with a phone-based drink counting control condition as adjuncts to BAC-focused counseling for efficacy in reducing alcohol self-administration. One app is a breathalyzer that produces accurate readings using a device that snaps onto a smartphone. A second app yields BAC estimates based on sex, weight, time elapsed and number of drinks. While the breathalyzer app provides high accuracy, some young adults could be self-conscious about blowing into a device. Between-subjects, we will randomize heavy drinking young adults (N = 99) to brief counseling plus 1 of 3 TBTs (breathalyzer, BAC estimator, control condition), which they will use during a 3-hour laboratory alcohol self-administration period. Pay reductions based on poor performance on cognitive/psychomotor tasks sensitive to alcohol effects provide a disincentive for excessive drinking during the drinking session. Participants may avoid pay reductions with help of a TBT. Peak estimated BAC and number of drinks consumed during the 3 hours will be the primary outcomes. After the drinking session, participants will be given all 3 TBTs to use on their own in the field for 2 weeks to assess alcohol drinking while each TBT is used; preference for and acceptability of each TBT as exploratory aims. Laboratory alcohol self-administration paradigms, while used often to test medications, have been under- utilized in testing behavioral interventions. Lab paradigms offer advantages in the study of PBS, including direct measurement of PBS use and its relation to alcohol consumption with reduced emphasis on self-report. We hypothesize that participants randomized to either BAC-related app condition will administer significantly fewer beers and reach lower peak estimated BAC in an alcohol drinking session, compared to a drink counting control condition. We will also compare the 3 TBTs on participants' ratings of acceptability and likelihood of future use between-subjects, based on their experiences during the session and within-subjects, based on their experiences during the 2-week field use period. We will also test for interactions by sex for all outcomes. BAC-related apps could lead to large decreases in drinking with minimal effort. Potential public health impact is substantial due to prevalence of alcohol use disorders and infrequent treatment seeking in this population.