Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29788261›Full record

SynthesisAnnals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine2018

Behavior Change Techniques Used in Digital Behavior Change Interventions to Reduce Excessive Alcohol Consumption: A Meta-regression.

Claire V Garnett, David Crane, Jamie Brown, Eileen F S Kaner, Fiona R Beyer, Colin R Muirhead, Matthew Hickman, Emma Beard, James Redmore, Frank de Vocht and 1 more

Registry-linked trialOpen access · hybridAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07143565 (Chat-based Text Messaging and Online Education Hubs for Reducing Alcohol Consumption and Binge Drinking in Adolescents), which is not on this map. Cited by 51 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
51citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
3.1field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT07143565 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Chat-based Text Messaging and Online Education Hubs for Reducing Alcohol Consumption and Binge Drinking in Adolescents: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorThe University of Hong KongRan2025 to 2026Enrolled100ConditionsTeen DrinkingArmsOnline platform hub and mHealth Text Messaging, Self-help material
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

51 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 80 citations in OpenAlex.

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  9. Health goals, sex, and college enrollment: Impacts on young adult response to digital alcohol intervention.Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Claire V GarnettResearch Department of Behavioural Science and Health, UCL, UK.
David CraneResearch Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, UCL, UK.
Jamie BrownResearch Department of Behavioural Science and Health, UCL, UK.
Eileen F S KanerInstitute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, UK.
Fiona R BeyerInstitute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, UK.
Colin R MuirheadInstitute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, UK.
Matthew HickmanSchool of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK.
Emma BeardResearch Department of Behavioural Science and Health, UCL, UK.
James RedmoreSchool of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK.
Frank de VochtSchool of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK.
Susan MichieResearch Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, UCL, UK.
Newcastle University · GBUniversity of Bristol · GB

Funding

British Heart FoundationCancer Research UK 22962Cancer Research UK C1417/A14135Cancer Research UK C1417/A22962Department of HealthMedical Research Council G0800612Medical Research Council G0802736Medical Research Council MR/K023195/1Medical Research Council MR/K023233/1Medical Research Council MR/K02325X/1Medical Research Council MR/L022206/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Digital behavior change interventions (DBCIs) appear to reduce alcohol consumption, but greater understanding is needed of their mechanisms of action. Purpose: To describe the behavior change techniques (BCTs) used in DBCIs and examine whether individual BCTs, the inclusion of more BCTs or more Control Theory congruent BCTs is associated with increased effectiveness. Methods: Forty-one randomized control trials were extracted from a Cochrane review of alcohol reduction DBCIs and coded for up to 93 BCTs using an established and reliable method. Random effects unadjusted and adjusted meta-regression models were performed to assess associations between BCTs and intervention effectiveness. Results: Interventions used a mean of 9.1 BCTs (range 1-22), 23 different BCTs were used in four or more trials. Trials that used "Behavior substitution" (-95.112 grams per week [gpw], 95% CI: -162.90, -27.34), "Problem solving" (-45.92 gpw, 95% CI: -90.97, -0.87) and "Credible source" (-32.09 gpw, 95% CI: -60.64, -3.55) were significantly associated with greater alcohol reduction than trials without these BCTs. The "Behavior substitution" result should be treated as preliminary because it was reported in only four trials, three of which were conducted by the same research group. "Feedback" was used in 98% of trials (n = 41); other Control Theory congruent BCTs were used less frequently: for example, "Goal setting" 43% (n = 18) and "Self-monitoring" 29%, (n = 12). Conclusions: "Behavior substitution," "Problem solving," and "Credible source" were associated with greater alcohol reduction. Many BCTs were used infrequently in DBCIs, including BCTs with evidence of effectiveness in other domains, such as "Self-monitoring" and "Goal setting."

Indexed as

Randomized Controlled Trials as TopicAlcohol DrinkingAlcoholismBehavioral MedicineHumansTelemedicine

Identifiers

PMID29788261
PMCPMC6361280
OpenAlexW2788757686

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.