Poster #81 - Usability and Acceptability of the MobileCoach-Teen Smartphone App Based Intervention for Adolescent Risky Drinking

• In Event: Poster Session 06

Abstract

Purpose: Adolescence is a critical developmental period highlighted in part by experimentation with substance use, especially alcohol. Occurring in parallel with this experimentation are milestones related to independent driving and first sexual experiences that can become riskier in the context of alcohol consumption. Furthermore, adolescent alcohol consumption comes with inherent risks to physical and mental health and is associated with adult alcohol dependence. Most existing interventions aimed at mitigating risky adolescent drinking have been in school-based settings (e.g., DARE Program). However, questions have been raised about the efficacy, acceptability, cost-effectiveness, and scalability of programs like this. With widespread adoption of smartphone technology even by younger children, new opportunities are becoming available for affordable, en masse dissemination of interventions using this technology. MC-Teen is a 12-week smartphone-app based intervention for risky adolescent drinking behavior in which a chatbot “coach” sends personalized feedback and intervention content derived from a within-app baseline survey on alcohol expectancies, current rates of use, and youth-identified drinking reduction strategies. The present study assesses the feasibility of the MC-Teen intervention by assessing qualitative and quantitative feedback on acceptability and usability from youth enrolled in a pilot trial of the MC-Teen app.

Methods: 29 adolescents (aged 16-18) in their Junior or Senior year of high school were recruited via physical flyers and referral by other youth enrolled in the study. After confirming eligibility by phone, informed consent was collected, with parents providing informed consent for youth under 18. All youth participants regardless of age also provided assent for participation within the app. Youth were randomized to receive the alcohol intervention (n = 15) or an attention control pseudo-intervention (n=14) focusing on health and fitness. After being guided on how to download the app and complete the baseline survey, participants were prompted to provide qualitative feedback on this process as well as aspects of the look and feel of the app. Participants also completed biweekly surveys providing additional qualitative feedback on app experience and intervention content as well as quantitative feedback via items derived from the Working Alliance Inventory for Digital Interventions. Following completion of the 12-week intervention, participants also completed a final follow-up assessment.

Results: Youth participants across control and intervention groups rated the app highly for ease of download (x̄=4.31, SD=.930; 5-point Likert) and ease of baseline survey completion (x̄=4.69, SD=.604; 5-point Likert). Mean time for completion of within-app baseline survey was 7 minutes, 42 seconds (SD=2:15). Qualitative themes emerged from participant feedback including overarching positivity with regards to application user interface (UX) and message content with recommendations for greater personalization of messaging, more diverse content, greater frequency of messages, and greater gender and ethnic/racial diversity in options for the coach avatar.

Conclusions: With the emergence of various risk behaviors in adolescence, it is vital that interventions for risky drinking behavior are presented in ways that are accessible, acceptable, and uniquely tailored to different experiences. Pilot feasibility data from the MC-Teen app show promising results for use of digital interventions with adolescents for substance use and beyond.

Authors

• Alex Clement, University of Florida
  Presenting Author

• Shimei Nelapati

• Nathaniel Wydra

• Catherine Stanger

• Joy Gabrielli, University of Florida