Designing a mobile-based intervention to address hazardous drinking among adults in Goa, India
Student name: Ms Devika Gupta
Guide: Dr Prashant Kumar Singh
Year of completion: 2018
Host Organisation: Sangath, Goa
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Dr Abhijit Nadkarni
Abstract: Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) are the leading causes of the global burden of diseases. In India they are responsible for a high burden of disease, injury and mortality partly due to low treatment availability and accessibility. Hazardous drinking is a pattern of drinking that is likely to cause adverse health events for the drinker and represents nearly 50% of the problematic drinkers in India. Global evidence indicates that mobile-based Brief Interventions (BI) are cost-effective and powerful tools in treating hazardous drinking. Project AMBIT aims to test the feasibility and accessibility of a mobile-based BI for hazardous drinkers by synthesising global evidence with inputs from key stakeholders, viz. addictions experts and intended recipients. This report captures the formative research undertaken in the development of the proposed intervention.
Methods: (1) A detailed review of global evidence on technology-based interventions for hazardous drinkers drawn from systematic reviews, and (2) In-depth interviews (IDIs) with national experts in the field of addictions, and intended recipients from educational institutions and workplaces in Goa.
Results: The global review was conducted using two international systematic reviews (Kane 2016, Fowler 2017), providing insights for the development and delivery of the intervention such as content areas and platforms of delivery. The IDIs were conducted with experts and intended recipients to validate the global evidence and identify ways in which the intervention could be culturally contextualised.
Conclusion: Consistent feedback was received from experts and intended recipients regarding intervention development and delivery. The findings validated the global evidence while highlighting culturally relevant modifications that can be included in the intervention. The triangulated findings will be used to develop a Delphi survey for consensus building with international experts.
Keywords: alcohol, addiction, Goa, hazardous drinking, mHealth
