Game-Based Intervention to Reduce Alcohol Use Among Youth

Purpose

This is a randomized controlled trial to learn if the Singularities, a game-based intervention, works to reduce alcohol-related harms among youth. It will also learn if Singularities reduces alcohol use behaviors and improves alcohol protective behavioral strategies, adaptive coping skills, and healthy social media use. The main questions it aims to answer are: - Does Singularities reduce the frequency of experiencing alcohol-related harms and alcohol use behaviors? - Does Singularities improve alcohol protective behavioral strategies, adaptive coping skills, and healthy social media use? Researchers will compare Singularities to an attention control program, Food4Thought, a game-based intervention about nutrition, physical activity, and teen well-being, to see if Singularities works to reduce alcohol-related harms. Participants will: - Partake in either Singularities or Food4Thought, both of which will be completed over the course of one month - Take 4 online surveys over the course of one year - Complete an optional online interview after the surveys

Condition

  • Alcohol Problem

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Between 14 Years and 18 Years
Eligible Sex
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Inclusion Criteria

  • Able to comfortably participate in English - Live in the U.S. - 14-18 years old - Have an internet-accessible computer, smart phone, or tablet - Provide an email address - Have drank alcohol in their lifetime or intend to in the next year

Exclusion Criteria

  • None

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Parallel Assignment
Intervention Model Description
Two-armed parallel randomized controlled trial
Primary Purpose
Prevention
Masking
None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Singularities
Singularities is a theory-based, community-informed, web-accessible intervention that includes a game, discussion board, and resources that incorporate 3 components for encouraging use of adaptive coping skills, alcohol protective behavioral strategies, and healthy internet and social media use.
  • Behavioral: Singularities
    Singularities is a theory-based, community-informed, web-accessible intervention that includes a game, discussion board, and resources that incorporate 3 components for encouraging use of adaptive coping skills, alcohol protective behavioral strategies, and healthy internet and social media use.
Active Comparator
Food4Thought
Food4Thought is an attention control condition in which participants receive similar amounts of research team contact and program contact as the Singularities intervention. Participants will play the game Pick Your Plate! A Global Guide to Nutrition, developed by the Smithsonian Science Education Center, and learn about resources and respond to questions about nutrition, physical activity, and teen well-being (without the mention of anything pertaining to alcohol use).
  • Behavioral: Food4Thought
    Food4Thought is an attention control condition in which participants receive similar amounts of research team contact and program contact as the intervention. Participants will play the game Pick Your Plate! A Global Guide to Nutrition, developed by the Smithsonian Science Education Center. Participants are instructed to build healthy meals using cuisine from around the world while ensuring they stick to a budget and meet all their nutritional needs. Food4Thought will be delivered via Qualtrics.

Recruiting Locations

University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
Contact:
Robert WS Coulter, PhD
4126240647
robert.ws.coulter@pitt.edu

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
University of Pittsburgh

Study Contact

Robert WS Coulter, PhD, MPH
412-624-0647
robert.ws.coulter@pitt.edu