Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35815387›Full record

SynthesisAddiction (Abingdon, England)2023

Practitioner and digitally delivered interventions for reducing hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption in people not seeking alcohol treatment: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Fiona R Beyer, Ryan P W Kenny, Eugenie Johnson, Deborah M Caldwell, Claire Garnett, Stephen Rice, Julija Simpson, Colin Angus, Dawn Craig, Matt Hickman and 2 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract readSystematic ReviewNetwork Meta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Addiction (Abingdon, England), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 16% 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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Incentives and delivery modality as moderators of a web-based personalized normative feedback intervention for heavy-drinking college students.Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors · 2025
    Trial
  3. Trial
  4. Observational
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
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

12 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Fiona R BeyerEvidence Synthesis Group, Population Health Sciences Institute, The Catalyst, 3 Science Square, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-6396-3467
Ryan P W KennyEvidence Synthesis Group, Population Health Sciences Institute, The Catalyst, 3 Science Square, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.
Eugenie JohnsonPopulation Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Science, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK.
Deborah M CaldwellPopulation Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Claire GarnettDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-6589-299X
Stephen RicePopulation Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Science, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK.
Julija SimpsonPopulation Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Science, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK.
Colin AngusSchool of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-0529-4135
Dawn CraigEvidence Synthesis Group, Population Health Sciences Institute, The Catalyst, 3 Science Square, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.
Matt HickmanPopulation Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-9864-459X
Susan MichieDirector of UCL Centre for Behaviour Change, University College London, London, UK.
Eileen F S KanerPopulation Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Science, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK.
Newcastle University · GBUniversity College London · GBUniversity of Bristol · GBUniversity of Sheffield · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/L022206/1Medical Research Council MR/N00616X/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimTo compare the effectiveness of practitioner versus digitally delivered interventions for reducing hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption.

designSystematic review and network meta-analysis comprising comprehensive search for randomised controlled trials, robust screening and selection methods and appraisal with the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Network meta-analyses were conducted in Stata using random effects, frequentist models. The confidence in network meta-analysis (CINeMA) tool was used to assess confidence in effect sizes.

settingOnline or community or health settings where the intervention was immediately accessible without referral.

participantsNon treatment-seeking hazardous or harmful drinkers. MEASUREMENTS: Primary outcome was mean difference in alcohol consumption (g/wk); secondary outcome was number of single high intensity drinking episodes. Baseline consumption was analysed as a covariate.

findingsOf 201 included trials (94 753 participants), 152 reported a consumption outcome that could be converted to grams/week; 104 reported number of single high intensity drinking episodes. At 1 and 6 months, practitioner delivered interventions reduced consumption more than digitally delivered interventions (1 month: -23 g/wk (95% CI, -43 to -2); 6 months: -14 g/wk [95% CI, -25 to -3]). At 12 months there was no evidence of difference between practitioner and digitally delivered interventions (-6 g/wk [95% CI, -24 to 12]). There was no evidence of a difference in single high intensity drinking episodes between practitioner and digitally delivered interventions at any time point. Effect sizes were small, but could impact across a population with relatively high prevalence of hazardous and harmful drinking. Heterogeneity was a concern. Some inconsistency was indicated at 1 and 6 months, but little evidence was apparent at 12 months.

conclusionPractitioner delivered interventions for reducing hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption are more effective than digitally delivered interventions up to 6 months; at 12 months there is no evidence of a difference.

Indexed as

Alcohol DrinkingAlcoholismEthanolHumansMass ScreeningEthanolAlcohol drinkingAlcohol-related disordersBinge drinkingBrief alcohol interventionsDigital alcohol interventionsHazardous alcohol consumption

Identifiers

PMID35815387
PMCPMC10087505
OpenAlexW4285012806

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.