Handheld Computer Diaries to Enhance Alcohol Assessment

描述（由申请人提供）：酗酒问题是一个与一系列负面后果相关的重大公共卫生问题，本科生尤其容易受到极端酒精使用和滥用的影响。尽管在酒精监测和预防研究方面取得了重大进展，但有效和高效地评估个人饮酒的数量、频率、模式和背景仍然是一项方法上的挑战。为了应对这一挑战，我们建议开发和评估一种使用无线手持计算机进行每日回顾性酒精评估的最新方法。我们在计算机数据收集和大学生酒精评估方面的跨学科专家团队建议开发无线手持酒精评估工具（whata），并在两个大学校园（南卡罗来纳州立大学和南卡罗来纳州大学）对280名本科生（140名非裔美国人和140名白人男性和女性）进行评估，年龄在18-23岁之间。评估研究将采用随机、两期、交叉设计，包括基线和两次随访评估，将WHAT-A与纸笔管理的饮酒自我监测日志（DSML）和时间线随访评估（TLFB）进行比较。本研究的具体目的是：(1)测量使用WHAT-A、DSML和TLFB的个体在自我报告的酒精消费量、频率和饮酒背景方面的相对差异；(2)建立使用WHAT-A管理的酒精评估工具的可靠性；(3)探索利用无线掌上电脑进行健康促进干预的潜力。数据分析将包括几种类型的重复测量分析，以比较三种评估工具，包括两期交叉的两阶段方法。所有重复测量分析都将使用SAS Proc Mixed软件的均值模型进行，为每种评估工具的均值和酒精评估方法之间的均值差异提供单独的估计。此外，将使用泊松回归分析关于酒精消费频率和背景的每日计数数据（即30天内受试者饮酒日事件），以帮助评估酒精消费量的变化模式。鉴于大学生高危饮酒的重大挑战和现有酒精评估工具和方法的局限性，迫切需要探索开发新的酒精评估创新方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Problem drinking is a significant public health problem associated with an array of negative consequences, and undergraduate college students are particularly vulnerable for extreme alcohol use and abuse. Despite significant advances in alcohol surveillance and prevention research, effectively and efficiently assessing the quantity, frequency, patterns and context in which individuals consume alcohol remains a methodological challenge. To address this challenge, we propose to develop and evaluate a state-of-the-art approach to daily retrospective alcohol assessment using wireless handheld computers. Our interdisciplinary team of experts in computer-based-data-collection and college student alcohol assessment propose to develop the Wireless Handheld Assessment Tool for Alcohol (WHAT-A) and to evaluate it on two college campuses (South Carolina State University and the University of South Carolina) with 280 undergraduate college students (140 African American and 140 White males and females), from 18-23 year of age. The evaluation study will use a randomized, two-period, crossover design, with baseline and two follow-up assessments to compare the WHAT-A to paper-and-pencil administered Drinking Self Monitoring Logs (DSML) and Timeline Followback assessments (TLFB). The specific aims of this study are: (1) To measure the relative differences in self-reported quantity, frequency, and context of alcohol consumption among individuals using WHAT-A, DSML, and TLFB; (2) To establish the reliability of alcohol assessment instruments administered using the WHAT-A; and, (3) To explore the potential of using the wireless handheld computers for health promotion interventions. Data analysis will include several types of repeated-measures analyses to compare the 3 assessment tools including the two-stage method for the two-period crossover. All repeated-measures analyses will be performed with a means model using SAS Proc Mixed software, providing separate estimates of the means for each assessment tool and for the mean difference between the methods of alcohol assessment. Additionally the daily count data on frequency and contexts of alcohol consumption (i.e., the 30-day within-subject drinking day events) will be analyzed using Poisson regression to help evaluate patterns of change in rate of alcohol consumption. Given the significant challenges surrounding high-risk drinking among college students and limitations of existing alcohol assessment instruments and approaches, there is a compelling need to explore the development of new innovative approaches for alcohol assessment.