Preventing alcohol-related harm among young women: development and feasibility testing of a community-based group intervention

在社交团体中狂饮在年轻女性中很常见。这项研究将制定一项招募战略以及对性别和年龄敏感的群体干预措施，以解决18-34岁女性的酗酒问题。如果成功，干预措施随后将在全面试验中进行测试。这项全面研究的长远目标是减少年轻女性酗酒的次数，她们当中很多人并不知道她们的饮酒水平是有害的。这项以社区为基础的可行性研究将分两个阶段进行。第一阶段涉及设计和测试以社区为基础的招聘战略。它将通过现有的社区团体和网络招募参与者；在两个地方广播电台发布广告；以及海报宣传活动。一名平面设计师将与团队合作制作海报和传单来宣传这项研究。第一阶段还将发展新的团体干预。这种干预是基于当前的行为改变心理学理论。干预的组成部分将被编织成有趣的社交活动。非专业人员将接受培训，以提供干预。将召集六个有年轻妇女参加的重点小组，协助制定征聘战略和干预措施。这种干预具有几个创新的特点，使其对目标群体具有吸引力。它是为年轻女性量身定做的，并利用加强现有的社会网络和社会群体中存在的支持系统。这项干预增加了短暂的酒精干预，这种干预通常用于减少酒精摄入量。它采用健康行动程序办法，旨在通过三个步骤导致行为改变：促进改变的动力；设定目标和实施改变的意图；以及制定应对计划和复发预防战略。因此，干预将分三次进行。趣味小组活动强化了干预的三个组成部分，将构成课程的基础：调制无酒精鸡尾酒、化妆演示和放松课程。聘请训练有素的业外同行进行干预，将使这项研究对参与者更具吸引力。改变的动力将使用激励性面试技巧来产生。这些女性将被鼓励制定具体的计划来改变她们的行为，并考虑如何克服改变的障碍。第二阶段使用前后研究设计来评估干预的组成部分是否可能减少酗酒的频率。经常一起喝酒的年轻女性将被邀请以小组形式(3至8人)参与研究。总共将招募20个预先存在的社会团体。将招募不同特征的群体，如工作同事、年轻母亲、学生和来自高贫困地区的失业年轻妇女。妇女将在干预三个月后接受电话采访。这项研究将使用一系列措施来评估这项研究的可接受性及其作为减少有害饮酒的有效战略的潜力。将在基线和干预后三个月测量前30天的酗酒频率(单次饮酒6个或更多单位)。这项研究还将评估这项研究对危害的感知、适度饮酒的感知好处以及对减少酗酒能力的信念的影响。这些女性在多大程度上制定了减少酗酒频率的计划将被衡量。还将评估群体支持系统在影响个人和群体饮酒行为方面的影响。由于社区干预措施的招聘率通常较低，因此还将对300名接触广告活动的年轻女性进行市场渗透率调查，以评估广告活动的影响。

Binge drinking in social groups is common among young women. This study will develop a recruitment strategy and a gender and age sensitive group intervention to tackle binge drinking among women aged 18 - 34 years. If successful, the intervention will subsequently be tested in a full scale trial. The long term aim of the full study is to reduce the frequency of binge drinking among young women, many of whom are not aware that they drink at harmful levels.This community-based feasibility study will be conducted in two phases. Phase one involves designing and testing a community based recruitment strategy. It will recruit participants through existing community groups and networks; adverts on two local radio stations; and a poster campaign. A graphic designer will work with the team to create posters and leaflets to advertise the study. Phase one will also develop the novel group intervention. The intervention is based on current psychological theories of behaviour change. The components of the intervention will be woven into fun social activities. Lay people will be trained to deliver the intervention. Six focus groups with young women will be convened to assist in the development of the recruitment strategy and the intervention. The intervention has several innovative features that make it attractive to the target group. It is tailored for young women and capitalises on enhancing existing social networks and support systems that exist within social groups. The intervention augments the brief alcohol intervention, which is commonly used to reduce alcohol consumption. It uses the Health Action Process Approach which is designed to lead to behaviour change through three steps: promoting motivation to change; setting goals and implementing intentions to change; and devising coping plans and relapse prevention strategies. Thus the intervention will be delivered over three sessions. Fun group activities, which reinforce the three components of the intervention, will form the basis for the sessions: making alcohol free cocktails, a makeup demonstration and a relaxation class. Employing trained lay peers to deliver the intervention, will make the study more appealing to the participants. Motivation to change will be generated using motivational interviewing techniques. The women will be encouraged to make specific plans to change their behaviour and to think about ways to overcome barriers to change. Phase 2 uses a before and after study design to assess whether the components of the intervention are likely to reduce the frequency of binge drinking. Young women who regularly drink together will be invited to participate in the study in groups (three to eight people). In total 20 pre-existing social groups will be recruited. Groups with different characteristics will be recruited eg work colleagues; young mothers; students; and unemployed young women from areas of high deprivation. Women will be interviewed by telephone three months after the intervention. The study will use a range of measures to assess the acceptability of the study and its potential to be an effective strategy to reduce harmful drinking. The frequency of binge drinking (6 or more units of alcohol in a single session) in the previous 30 days will be measured at baseline and three months after the intervention. The study will also assess the impact of the study on perceptions of harms, the perceived benefits of moderated drinking; and beliefs in ability to reduce binge drinking. The extent to which the women made plans to reduce the frequency of binge drinking will be measured. The impact of the group support systems in influencing both individual and group drinking behaviour will also be assessed. As recruitment to community-based interventions is typically low, a market penetration survey of 300 young women exposed to the advertising campaign will also be conducted, to assess the impact of the advertising campaign.