Evaluation of an Interactive Mobile Phone-Based Brief Intervention to Reduce Substance-Impaired Driving

Summary

Substance-Impaired Driving among emerging adults remains a significant public health concern and may be the single riskiest substance-related outcome among young adults. Brief Interventions (BIs) have been shown to reduce alcohol-impaired driving among this age group, but are not often implemented - despite their demonstrated efficacy - because it is not economically feasible to deliver in-person BIs to all emerging adult substance users. The present study will be the first to examine whether a text-messaging-based cannabis-impaired driving BI significantly decreases cannabis-impaired driving among emerging adult cannabis users compared to an informational control. Participants will be 240 emerging adults who endorse driving after cannabis use (or combined alcohol and cannabis use) at least three times in the past 3 months. After completing baseline measures, participants will be randomly assigned to receive either: a) substance use information, b) a substance-impaired driving personalized feedback intervention, or c) a substance-impaired driving personalized feedback intervention plus interactive text messages. Participants will complete outcome measures 3 and 6 months post-intervention. Repeated measures mixed modeling analyses will be used to determine whether the intervention significantly reduces substance-impaired driving over time. The project has two specific aims: 1) to evaluate a text based cannabis-impaired driving intervention in a randomized clinical trial, and 2) to determine whether the use of interactive text-messages sustains intervention effects over time.

Conditions

• Driving Impaired

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Personalized feedback

Following the baseline assessment, participants will be sent a link via text message to a secure website containing substance-impaired driving specific personalized feedback. Feedback will include the following elements: a personalized substance use profile and substance-impaired driving profile, information on social norms related to substance use and substance-impaired driving, personalized information on BAC (or level of impairment due to drug use) prior to driving, costs associated with a DUI citation in Kentucky, and information on combined drug and alcohol impaired driving risk (if endorsed).

BEHAVIORAL

Personalized feedback and text messages

Following the baseline assessment, participants will be sent a link via text message to a secure website containing substance-impaired driving specific personalized feedback (described above). Participants will be asked to send a text message back to the study administrator after viewing the feedback document. After confirming receipt and processing of the document, the study administrator will then send the participant three text messages containing open-ended questions.

BEHAVIORAL

Information Only

Students randomized to the information condition will receive standard information about alcohol and other drugs and substance-impaired driving via a link to a website delivered through text message.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Western Kentucky University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Jenni Teeters, PhD · Western Kentucky University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

29 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-10-18

Primary Completion

2026-03-31

Completion

2026-03-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations