Text before you drink? – how mobile phones could help reduce binge drinking

Everyone’s had those good intentions – that fitness app just after new years, this meditation app that the colleague that always seems like she has it all together recommended. The first few days go well, but then – well, let’s say the reminders keep popping up, without causing much more action than the thumb swipe that dismisses them. So how could text message-based intervention help people who have problems with binge-drinking? That is just what a collaborative study between Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle wants to find out.

Over 12 weeks they sent over 100 text messages to each study participant – the clue: instead of merely reminding them to drink less, they were designed to foster interaction and response. Questions such as ‘Can you think of any reasons why it might be a good idea to cut down a bit on your drinking?’ were interspersed with real quotes from pilot study participants (Mark from Edinburgh says: “Sometimes I’ve not had enough money to pay the bills.”) and challenges to identify achievable goals to reduce alcohol intake, if even just a little bit.

Responses ranged from humourous (On the question who would be pleased to see them drink less: “My wife, she’d get more money for shoes!!”) over heart-breaking (on the question, if they or their friends had experienced problems due to drinking: “I’ve had a friend that’s died because of drink. Fell off a balcony in a block of flats.”) to aspirational (“Stop earlier in the evening or at the very least slow down compared to others.”). While the researchers including Dr. Falko F. Sniehotta from Newcastle University, still note some caveats of the study, the success of actively engaging individuals in a text-based intervention programme instead of passively informing them speaks for itself. Answering one of the last messages one participant writes: “Had my ups and downs but I’m getting there now. Enjoyed the experience, thank you.”

If you want to have a look at the study yourself: Irvine, Linda, et al. (2017) "Real time monitoring of engagement with a text message intervention to reduce binge drinking among men living in socially disadvantaged areas of Scotland."