Desenvolvimento e avaliação de uma intervenção assistida por computador para redução do consumo de álcool

Abstract

The negative consequences associated with heavy alcohol consumption contribute to the appearance of several health problems. Prevention strategies delivered on the internet to reduce alcohol consumption can be effective in this context. Objective: To develop and evaluate an open source and single session web-based intervention to reduce alcohol consumption. Method: A brief narrative review of the literature was carried out describing the context of using e-health tools, which include web-based interventions, to address substance abuse related problems. After this general presentation of the field, the process of development of the intervention is described, following a set of steps that articulate four phases (pre-alpha, alpha, beta and final disclosure) related to the construction of the active contents of the intervention. Through a focus group the opinions of potential users were considered in each of these stages, as well as the evaluation of specialists in the field. The final version of the intervention had its source code made available for free access. In a second moment, through a pilot study, the final version of the program was evaluated through a descriptive study that investigated the strategies of recruitment, use profile and adherence to the intervention. The recruitment strategies adopted were able to attract 30,158 visitors, of whom, a total of 22,258 started their evaluation of alcohol consumption, with 94.2% consume alcoholic beverages. A total of 14,263 participants who received the return of their results and were invited to use the intervention met the initial inclusion criteria. A total of 610 participants agreed to attend. Demographic data, pattern of alcohol consumption and use of intervention components are presented. Conclusions: The results indicate that the intervention was adequate for the screening of problems related to alcohol consumption, reaching an important population contingent. The interest in changing drinking behavior among these participants seems to be low given the high dropout rate after the invitation. The potential for improvement and use of this intervention for future studies aimed at evaluating its effectiveness is discussed. It is concluded that the stages of development and evaluation have made it possible to fill the gap recognized in the literature, but that advances must be made from the results found here.