Michael P Schaub1, Marcela Tiburcio2, Nora Martinez3, Atul Ambekar4, Yatan Pal Singh Balhara4, Andreas Wenger1, André Luiz Monezi Andrade5, Dzianis Padruchny6, Sergey Osipchik7, Elise Gehring8, Vladimir Poznyak8, Dag Rekve8, Maria Lucia Oliveira Souza-Formigoni5. 1. Swiss Research Institute for Public Health and Addiction ISGF, associated with the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 2. Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, National Institute of Psychiatry, Mexico City, Mexico. 3. Department of Social Sciences in Health, Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, National Institute of Psychiatry, Mexico City, Mexico. 4. National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre and Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. 5. Departamento de Psicobiologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidad Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. 6. Information and Training Centre of the Belarusian Psychiatric Association, Minsk, Belarus. 7. Republican Research and Practice Center for Mental Health, Minsk, Belarus. 8. WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Geneva, Switzerland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Given the scarcity of alcohol prevention and alcohol use disorder treatments in many low and middle-income countries, the World Health Organization launched an e-health portal on alcohol and health that includes a Web-based self-help program. This paper presents the protocol for a multicentre randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the efficacy of the internet-based self-help intervention to reduce alcohol use. DESIGN: Two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) with follow-up 6 months after randomization. SETTING: Community samples in middle-income countries. PARTICIPANTS: People aged 18+, with Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores of 8+ indicating hazardous alcohol consumption. INTERVENTION AND COMPARATOR: Offer of an internet-based self-help intervention, 'Alcohol e-Health', compared with a 'waiting list' control group. The intervention, adapted from a previous program with evidence of effectiveness in a high-income country, consists of modules to reduce or entirely stop drinking. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome measure is change in the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score assessed at 6-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes include self-reported the numbers of standard drinks and alcohol-free days in a typical week during the past 6 months, and cessation of harmful or hazardous drinking (AUDIT < 8). ANALYSIS: Data analysis will be by intention-to-treat, using analysis of covariance to test if program participants will experience a greater reduction in their AUDIT score than controls at follow-up. Secondary outcomes will be analysed by (generalized) linear mixed models. Complier average causal effect and baseline observations carried forward will be used in sensitivity analyses. COMMENTS: If the Alcohol e-Health program is found to be effective, the potential public health impact of its expansion into countries with underdeveloped alcohol prevention and alcohol use disorder treatment systems world-wide is considerable.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Given the scarcity of alcohol prevention and alcohol use disorder treatments in many low and middle-income countries, the World Health Organization launched an e-health portal on alcohol and health that includes a Web-based self-help program. This paper presents the protocol for a multicentre randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the efficacy of the internet-based self-help intervention to reduce alcohol use. DESIGN: Two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) with follow-up 6 months after randomization. SETTING: Community samples in middle-income countries. PARTICIPANTS: People aged 18+, with Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores of 8+ indicating hazardous alcohol consumption. INTERVENTION AND COMPARATOR: Offer of an internet-based self-help intervention, 'Alcohol e-Health', compared with a 'waiting list' control group. The intervention, adapted from a previous program with evidence of effectiveness in a high-income country, consists of modules to reduce or entirely stop drinking. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome measure is change in the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score assessed at 6-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes include self-reported the numbers of standard drinks and alcohol-free days in a typical week during the past 6 months, and cessation of harmful or hazardous drinking (AUDIT < 8). ANALYSIS: Data analysis will be by intention-to-treat, using analysis of covariance to test if program participants will experience a greater reduction in their AUDIT score than controls at follow-up. Secondary outcomes will be analysed by (generalized) linear mixed models. Complier average causal effect and baseline observations carried forward will be used in sensitivity analyses. COMMENTS: If the Alcohol e-Health program is found to be effective, the potential public health impact of its expansion into countries with underdeveloped alcohol prevention and alcohol use disorder treatment systems world-wide is considerable.
Authors: Michael P Schaub; Marcela Tiburcio; Nora Martínez-Vélez; Atul Ambekar; Roshan Bhad; Andreas Wenger; Christian Baumgartner; Dzianis Padruchny; Sergey Osipchik; Vladimir Poznyak; Dag Rekve; Fabricio Landi Moraes; André Luiz Monezi Andrade; Maria Lucia Oliveira Souza-Formigoni Journal: J Med Internet Res Date: 2021-08-27 Impact factor: 5.428
Authors: Abhijit Nadkarni; Urvita Bhatia; Andre Bedendo; Tassiane Cristine Santos de Paula; Joanna Gonçalves de Andrade Tostes; Lidia Segura-Garcia; Marcela Tiburcio; Sven Andréasson Journal: Int J Ment Health Syst Date: 2022-08-08
Authors: Esta Kaal; Michael P Schaub; Andreas Wenger; Triin Ülesoo; Matthijs Blankers; Severin Haug; David D Ebert; Heleen Riper; Matthew Keough; Helen Noormets; Karin Kilp Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2020-05-27 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Mareike Augsburger; Esta Kaal; Triin Ülesoo; Andreas Wenger; Matthijs Blankers; Severin Haug; David D Ebert; Heleen Riper; Matthew Keough; Helen Noormets; Michael P Schaub; Karin Kilp Journal: Addiction Date: 2021-07-23 Impact factor: 7.256