Effects of an App-Based Intervention Program to Reduce Substance Use, Gambling, and Digital Media Use in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Multicenter, Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial in Vocational Schools in Germany

Benjamin Pietsch (), Nicolas Arnaud, Kirsten Lochbühler, Monika Rossa, Ludwig Kraus, Elena Gomes de Matos, Kristin Grahlher, Rainer Thomasius, Reiner Hanewinkel and Matthis Morgenstern
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Benjamin Pietsch: IFT-Nord Institute for Therapy and Health Research, 24114 Kiel, Germany
Nicolas Arnaud: German Centre for Addiction Research in Childhood and Adolescence, University Medical Centre, Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
Kirsten Lochbühler: IFT Institut für Therapieforschung, 80804 Munich, Germany
Monika Rossa: IFT Institut für Therapieforschung, 80804 Munich, Germany
Ludwig Kraus: IFT Institut für Therapieforschung, 80804 Munich, Germany
Elena Gomes de Matos: IFT Institut für Therapieforschung, 80804 Munich, Germany
Kristin Grahlher: German Centre for Addiction Research in Childhood and Adolescence, University Medical Centre, Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
Rainer Thomasius: German Centre for Addiction Research in Childhood and Adolescence, University Medical Centre, Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
Reiner Hanewinkel: IFT-Nord Institute for Therapy and Health Research, 24114 Kiel, Germany
Matthis Morgenstern: IFT-Nord Institute for Therapy and Health Research, 24114 Kiel, Germany

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 3, 1-14

Abstract: Vocational students are a risk group for problematic substance use and addictive behaviors. The study aim was to evaluate the effects of an app-based intervention on tobacco, e-cigarettes, alcohol, and cannabis use as well as gambling and digital media-related behaviors in the vocational school setting. A total of 277 classes with 4591 students (mean age 19.2 years) were consecutively recruited and randomized into an intervention (IG) or waitlist control group (CG). Students from IG classes received access to an app, which encouraged a voluntary commitment to reduce or completely abstain from the use of a specific substance, gambling, or media-related habit for 2 weeks. Substance use, gambling, and digital media use were assessed before and after the intervention in both groups with a mean of 7.7 weeks between assessments. Multi-level logistic regression models were used to test group differences. Intention-to-treat-results indicated that students from IG classes had a significantly larger improvement on a general adverse health behavior measure compared to CG (OR = 1.24, p = 0.010). This difference was mainly due to a significantly higher reduction of students’ social media use in the IG (OR = 1.31, p < 0.001). Results indicate that the app “Meine Zeit ohne” is feasible for the target group and seems to have a small but measurable impact on students’ health behavior.

Keywords: prevention; vocational students; voluntary commitment; abstinence; substance use; internet-related problems; cluster-randomized controlled trial (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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