title: Alcohol and disadvantaged men: A feasibility trial of an intervention delivered by mobile phone.
abstract: Disadvantaged men suffer substantial harm from heavy drinking. This feasibility study developed and evaluated the methods for a trial of a brief intervention delivered by text messages to disadvantaged men. It aimed to test the methods for recruitment and retention, to monitor engagement with the intervention and assess the overall acceptability of study methods.
  
  
  
  Disadvantaged men aged 25-44 years who had ≥2 episodes of binge drinking (≥8 units in one session) in the preceding month were recruited. Two recruitment strategies were assessed: recruitment from general practice registers and by a community outreach strategy. Theoretically and empirically based text messages were tailored to the target group.
  
  
  
  The study recruited 67 disadvantaged men at high risk of alcohol-related harm, exceeding the target of 60. Evaluation showed that 95% of text messages were delivered, and the men engaged enthusiastically with the intervention. Retention at follow up was 96%. Outcomes were successfully measured on all men followed up. This provided data for the sample size calculation for the full trial. Post-study evaluation showed high levels of satisfaction with the study.
  
  
  
  This study has shown that disadvantaged men can be recruited and follow-up data obtained in an alcohol intervention study. The study methods were acceptable to the participants. The men recruited were at high risk of alcohol-related harms. It also clarified ways in which the recruitment strategy, the baseline questionnaire and the intervention could be improved. The full trial is currently underway. [Crombie IK, Irvine L, Falconer DW, Williams B, Ricketts IW, Jones C, Humphris G, Norrie J, Slane P, Rice P. Alcohol and disadvantaged men: A feasibility trial of an intervention delivered by mobile phone. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;36:468-476].
authors.affiliation: Division of Population Health Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Iain K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Crombie
authors.affiliation: Division of Population Health Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Irvine
authors.affiliation: Division of Population Health Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Donald W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Falconer
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: School of Computing, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ian W
authors.initials: IW
authors.lastname: Ricketts
authors.affiliation: Health Informatics Centre, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Bute Medical School, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Gerry
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Humphris
authors.affiliation: Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit (ECTU), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Norrie
authors.affiliation: Arthurstone Medical Centre, NHS Tayside, Dundee, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Slane
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rice
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D040421:Cell Phone / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D060145:Text Messaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: binge drinking; feasibility study; man; text messaging; vulnerable population