Alcohol Reduction Intervention Interview Guide

Abstract

The Alcohol Reduction Intervention Interview Guide (Oldham et al., 2024) is a specialized qualitative assessment method designed to evaluate the acceptability of digital health tools aimed at reducing alcohol consumption. Specifically, the guide was developed to gauge user perceptions of the Drink Less smartphone app (Garnett et al., 2019) and the official National Health Service (NHS) alcohol advice web page. This instrument was utilized within a randomized controlled trial involving adult drinkers residing in the United Kingdom.

The interview schedule comprises 18 primary questions structured around the core domains of the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA) (Sekhon, Cartwright, & Francis, 2017). The tool is used to generate open-ended, descriptive data regarding user experience, burden, and perceived effectiveness. As a qualitative instrument, no formal psychometric data regarding reliability or validity were reported in the initial publication.

Keywords

Theoretical Framework of Acceptability, Alcohol Reduction, Digital Interventions, Acceptability Assessment, Qualitative Assessment Methods, Drink Less App, NHS Advice, Randomized Controlled Trial.

Authors

Oldham, Melissa, Dina, Larisa-Maria, Loebenberg, Gemma, Perski, Olga, Brown, Jamie, Angus, Colin, Beard, Emma, Burton, Robyn, Field, Matt, Greaves, Felix, Hickman, Matthew, Kaner, Eileen, Michie, Susan, Munafò, Marcus R., Pizzo, Elena, Garnett, Claire.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Alcohol Reduction Intervention Interview Guide is to systematically evaluate the perceived acceptability and comprehensive user experience of specific alcohol reduction interventions, particularly those delivered via digital platforms such as mobile applications and web pages. By using a structured interview format, the guide facilitates an in-depth exploration of user attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors related to the intervention itself, which is vital for process evaluation in clinical trials.

The instrument’s design, rooted in the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability, ensures that data collected covers multiple dimensions of acceptability, including cognitive and emotional responses. This detailed feedback is crucial for researchers and developers aiming to refine and optimize future digital interventions in the field of public health and behavioral science.

Construct

The scale measures the Acceptability of Alcohol Reduction Interventions. Acceptability is understood here not as a simple binary measure (accepted/rejected), but as a multi-faceted construct defined by the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA). The TFA posits that acceptability is the degree to which a person considers an intervention to be appropriate, based on anticipated or experienced cognitive and emotional responses.

The specific dimensions of acceptability probed by the 18 items include Affective Attitude (the extent to which the user liked the intervention), Perceived Personal Relevance (suitability to individual needs), Burden (time consumption and difficulty), Intervention Coherence (clarity of use and function), Ethicality, Opportunity Costs, Self-Efficacy, and Perceived Effectiveness (belief in its helpfulness for drinking less).

Validity

Formal psychometric validity data, such as construct or criterion validity measures typically associated with quantitative scales, were not reported for the Alcohol Reduction Intervention Interview Guide. This aligns with its intended use as a flexible, qualitative assessment method designed specifically for in-depth process evaluation within a randomized controlled trial.

Despite the absence of statistical validation, the guide demonstrates strong content validity. Its 18 questions were systematically derived and structured according to the nine theoretical domains of the highly regarded Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA). This ensures that the instrument comprehensively covers the necessary dimensions required to assess acceptability in a theoretically robust manner.

Reliability

Reliability metrics, such as internal consistency (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha) or test-retest reliability, are not indicated in the primary reference for this instrument. Given that the guide consists of open-ended questions administered via interview, focusing on subjective, descriptive experiences, standard quantitative reliability measures are not applicable or relevant to its primary function as a qualitative tool.

Factor Analysis

Factor analysis was not conducted. As a qualitative interview guide designed to elicit rich, descriptive data structured around pre-defined theoretical domains (TFA), statistical methods such as exploratory or confirmatory factor analysis are not appropriate for its intended test methodology.

Instrument

Test Type: Original

Format: Interview Schedule/Guide utilizing open-ended responses, often supplemented by 1-5 star rating prompts for global acceptability. Individual interviews typically lasted between 12 and 34 minutes.

Language Available: English (based on the study population in the United Kingdom).

Population Group: Human; Male; Female

Age Group: Adults (18 years and older)

Population Details: Adult drinkers residing in the United Kingdom who were participating in a randomized controlled trial testing the effectiveness and acceptability of digital alcohol interventions.

Test Methodology: Qualitative Assessment Methods (specifically, semi-structured interviews).

Keywords

Acceptability, Self-Efficacy, Burden, Intervention Coherence, Preventive Health Services, Mobile Health Applications, Telerehabilitation, Harm Reduction, Digital Interventions, Treatment Effectiveness Evaluation.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Dina, Larisa-Maria: 0000-0002-2530-2983; Loebenberg, Gemma: 0000-0001-9927-2839; Brown, Jamie: 0000-0002-2797-5428; Angus, Colin: 0000-0003-0529-4135; Beard, Emma: 0000-0001-8586-1261; Burton, Robyn: 0000-0003-1684-5238; Field, Matt: 0000-0002-7790-5559; Hickman, Matthew: 0000-0001-9864-459X; Munafò, Marcus R.: 0000-0002-4049-993X; Garnett, Claire: 0000-0002-6589-299X.

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: Melissa Oldham, University College London, Behavioural Science and Health, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, United Kingdom. Email: [email protected]

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The original research detailing the development and use of this guide was published open-access and is licensed under a Creative Commons License (CC BY 4.0), suggesting broad permission for reuse and adaptation for research purposes, provided appropriate attribution is maintained. No specific fee is associated with the use of this research instrument.

Test Year: 2024

Reference’s

Oldham, M., Dina, L.-M., Loebenberg, G., Perski, O., Brown, J., Angus, C., Beard, E., Burton, R., Field, M., Greaves, F., Hickman, M., Kaner, E., Michie, S., Munafò, M. R., Pizzo, E., & Garnett, C. (2024). Evaluating the acceptability of the Drink Less app and the national health service alcohol advice web page: Qualitative interview process evaluation. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 26, Article e42319. https://doi.org/10.2196/42319

Items of the Alcohol Reduction Intervention Interview Guide

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Alcohol Reduction Intervention Interview Guide

Instructions: Throughout this interview, we will be asking you about your experience of using the digital support, in your case, this was the [Drink Less app/ NHS Alcohol advice webpage, delete as needed]. We would like you to make a distinction between your use of the support and your experience of taking part in the trial (so this would be the follow-up surveys and any contact you had with us). The next questions are strictly focused on what you thought about the Drink Less app/NHS Alcohol advice webpage and your experience of using it.

Items Regarding the Digital Support (Drink Less App/NHS Alcohol Advice Webpage)

1. When you originally signed up to the iDEAS trial in [month], why did you decide to take part?

2. Can you tell me about your experience of using the Drink Less app/NHS Alcohol advice webpage?

3. In what situations did you use the Drink Less app/NHS Alcohol advice webpage and why?

4. How would you rate the Drink Less app/NHS Alcohol advice webpage on a scale of 1 to 5 stars? And can you tell me why? [Global acceptability]

   Rating	Stars
   1	One Star
   2	Two Stars
   3	Three Stars
   4	Four Stars
   5	Five Stars

5. How much did you like the Drink Less app/NHS Alcohol advice webpage? [Affective Attitude]

6. Do you believe the Drink Less app/NHS Alcohol advice webpage was suited to your individual needs? [Perceived Personal Relevance]

7. Do you believe that using the Drink Less app/NHS Alcohol advice webpage helped you to drink less? [Perceived personal usefulness/ perceived effectiveness]

8. Did you find the Drink Less app/NHS Alcohol advice webpage time-consuming? [Burden]

9. Did you have any other difficulties using it? [Burden/Intervention Coherence]

10. Do you think anyone could use this app? [Ethicality]

11. Did using the Drink Less app/NHS Alcohol advice webpage interfere with anything else important to you? [Opportunity costs]

12. How confident were you about using the Drink Less app/NHS Alcohol advice webpage? [Self-efficacy]

13. Was it clear to you how to use the Drink Less app/NHS Alcohol advice webpage and how it worked? [Intervention coherence]

14. Do you have any other comments you would like to make?

Items Regarding the Trial Participation

Now, these final three questions refer to the trial – to the follow-up surveys and any contact you had with the researchers.

1. How did you find taking part in the wider trial?

2. How would you rate taking part in the trial on a scale of 1 to 5 stars? And can you tell me why? [Global acceptability]

   Rating	Stars
   1	One Star
   2	Two Stars
   3	Three Stars
   4	Four Stars
   5	Five Stars

3. Did the financial incentives encourage you to take part in the study?

4. [If yes], to what extent did the financial incentives for the study encourage you to take part?