Project SPACE: Testing Daily Text Messages to Reduce Alcohol Use and HIV Risk Behavior

Summary

Project SPACE is a micro-randomized trial evaluating the proximal effects theory-based text messages on alcohol use and sexual HIV risk behaviors among HIV-negative young adult men at the day-level.

At baseline, all participants will complete GamePlan, an existing brief online sexual health program. During the subsequent 8-week intervention period, participants will complete a brief morning assessment of the preceding day and will be randomized each afternoon, with equal probability, to receive concrete ("how"), abstract ("why"), neutral control, or no afternoon intervention messages. Participants will also complete pre- and post-intervention measures. The effects of GamePlan are not being separately evaluated in this study.

Conditions

• HIV
• Risk Behavior
• Alcohol Abuse

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

CLT- Concrete text messages

On participant-days assigned to this condition, participants will receive interactive CLT-concrete ('how'-based) text messages will involve asking participants questions about their alcohol use and sexual behaviors. Participants will receive 3 how-based questions related to alcohol and 3 how-based questions related to sexual behaviors (for a total of 6 questions). The messages will prompt participants to think concretely about actions and strategies related to reducing alcohol-related and sexual health risks.

BEHAVIORAL

CLT- Abstract text messages

On participant-days assigned to this condition, participants will receive interactive CLT-abstract ('why'-based) text messages will involve asking participants questions about their alcohol use and sexual behaviors. Participants will receive 3 why-based questions related to alcohol and 3 why-based questions related to sexual behaviors (for a total of 6 questions). The messages will prompt participants to think abstractly about their reasons, values, and broader goals related to reducing alcohol-related and sexual-health risks.

BEHAVIORAL

Control messages

On participant-days assigned to this condition, participants will receive interactive neutral messages will follow the same structure as intervention texts (CLT-texts), daily for 8 weeks, with having an initial question with 2 follow-up questions (i.e., 3 total questions). Control texts will be neutral (e.g., fun fact). Control messages will help enhance study rigor and rule out confounding due to any potential assessment reactivity to texts.

BEHAVIORAL

No messages

On participant-days assigned to this condition, no afternoon intervention message will be delivered. Participants will continue to receive the regularly scheduled morning assessment. Participants in this condition will previously have received the common baseline GamePlan program, as will all other participants.

BEHAVIORAL

GamePlan Online Program

Following the baseline assessment and before beginning the 8-week text-messaging period, all participants will complete GamePlan, a brief online sexual-health program lasting approximately 15-20 minutes. GamePlan provides personalized feedback and activities intended to help participants reflect on their sexual choices and consider whether they wish to make changes. GamePlan is administered to all participants and is not a randomized intervention component in this study. Its independent effect will not be evaluated.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

  collaborator NIH

• Emory University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Neo Gebru, PhD · Emory University

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

30 Years

Sex

MALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2027-02-28

Primary Completion

2027-12-31

Completion

2027-12-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations