Hollie Wilson

Development and validation of the user version of the mobile application rating scale (uMARS)

Background The Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) provides a reliable method to assess the quality of mobile health (mHealth) apps. However, training and expertise in mHealth and the relevant health field is required to administer it. Objective This study describes the development and reliability testing of an end-user version of the MARS (uMARS). Methods The MARS was simplified and piloted with 13 young people to create the uMARS. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the uMARS was then examined in a second sample of 164 young people participating in a randomized controlled trial of a mHealth app. App ratings were collected using the uMARS at 1-, 3,- and 6-month follow up. Results The uMARS had excellent internal consistency (alpha = .90), with high individual alphas for all subscales. The total score and subscales had good test-retest reliability over both 1-2 months and 3 months. Conclusions The uMARS is a simple tool that can be reliably used by end-users to assess the quality of mHealth apps.

The Quality and Accuracy of Mobile Apps to Prevent Driving After Drinking Alcohol.

Background Driving after the consumption of alcohol represents a significant problem globally. Individual prevention countermeasures such as personalized mobile apps aimed at preventing such behavior are widespread, but there is little research on their accuracy and evidence base. There has been no known assessment investigating the quality of such apps. Objective This study aimed to determine the quality and accuracy of apps for drink driving prevention by conducting a review and evaluation of relevant mobile apps. Methods A systematic app search was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. App quality was assessed using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). Apps providing blood alcohol calculators (hereafter “calculators”) were reviewed against current alcohol advice for accuracy. Results A total of 58 apps (30 iOS and 28 Android) met inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. Drink driving prevention apps had significantly lower engagement and overall quality scores than alcohol management apps. Most calculators provided conservative blood alcohol content (BAC) time until sober calculations. None of the apps had been evaluated to determine their efficacy in changing either drinking or driving behaviors. Conclusions This novel study demonstrates that most drink driving prevention apps are not engaging and lack accuracy. They could be improved by increasing engagement features, such as gamification. Further research should examine the context and motivations for using apps to prevent driving after drinking in at-risk populations. Development of drink driving prevention apps should incorporate evidence-based information and guidance, lacking in current apps.

Steering Clear of Driving After Drinking: a Tailored e-Health Intervention for Reducing Repeat Offending and Modifying Alcohol Use in a High-Risk Cohort

PurposeDigital interventions to reduce risk behaviours are emerging as effective public health measures; however, few have been applied to drink driving and associated alcohol use based on a harm reduction perspective. This paper reports on the design, development, and pilot of a novel intervention which aims to reduce repeat offending by first-time convicted drink driving offenders. It explores whether an online program is acceptable and user friendly and contains useful and relevant content, with a sample of first-time drink driving offenders recruited at the time of conviction.MethodBuilding upon existing research into interventions to reduce drink driving recidivism and problem alcohol use, a tailored program was designed to provide content specifically concerned with drink driving and with an additional component related to alcohol use. Following stakeholder and internal review, the ‘Steering Clear First Offender Drink Driving Program’ was subsequently piloted with 15 first-time drink driving offenders. Evaluative data was analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively.ResultsThe pilot results indicate that the participants found the program to be user friendly, as demonstrated by high scores in relation to navigation, online delivery, engagement, avatar usage and straightforwardness. They reported that they found the content to be useful and relevant and that the key learning area was in relation to the consequences of drink driving.ConclusionOnline interventions for reducing risky behaviour such as drink driving may be useful and cost effective from a public health perspective. Potentially, they can directly address risky behaviours associated with alcohol use in high-risk cohorts that may not ordinarily receive intervention.

Development and validation of the cannabis experiences questionnaire – Intoxication effects checklist (CEQ-I) short form

OBJECTIVE To develop and validate a short form of the Cannabis Experiences Questionnaire - Intoxication Effects (CEQ-I), a 42-item scale which measures the euphoric and paranoid-dysphoric effects of cannabis intoxication. METHOD Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted among 604 past-month cannabis users to develop the short form. The factor structure was replicated in a second sample of 146 past-month cannabis users. The concurrent validity of the scale was also examined. RESULTS Consistent with previous research, two factors were identified (paranoid-dysphoric; euphoric), and were replicated with confirmatory factor analyses. The most parsimonious scale consisted of 13 items. Correlations of short-form subscales with corresponding original subscales were high. The paranoid-dysphoric subscale was also moderately positively correlated with measures of psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) and psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS The revised and validated CEQ-I short form can be used to explore the euphoric and paranoid-dysphoric effects of cannabis intoxication in young cannabis users, and whether these experiences increase their risk of developing cannabis use and psychotic disorders. The CEQ-I short form has the potential to aid in the identification of young cannabis users at risk of the paranoid-dysphoric effects of cannabis intoxication and may assist in the development of early intervention strategies targeting cannabis users with PLEs.

The effects of licence disqualification on drink-drivers:Is it the same for everyone?

Drink-driving remains a major road safety concern that creates a significant social burden. Licence disqualification continues to play a key role in drink driving deterrence and sanctions together with police enforcement to address the problem in most motorised countries. However, on-going questions remain regarding the differing effect of licence disqualification periods between first time and repeat offenders, and between other sub-groups of offenders. As a result, this study aimed to determine whether: (a) differences exist in re-offence rates of convicted drink-drivers between: the period between committing the drink-driving offence and licence disqualification (pre-licence disqualification), during the period of licence disqualification, and after being re-licensed (post-licence restoration); and (b) differential effects of offence rates are evident based on Blood Alcohol Content (BAC), gender, age, repeat offender status and crash involvement at the time of offence. The sample consisted of 29,204 drink-driving offenders detected in Victoria, Australia between 1 January 1996 and 30 September 2002. The analysis indicated that licence disqualifications were effective as drink-driving offenders had a significantly lower rate of offending (both drink-driving and other traffic offences) during licence disqualifications compared to pre-licence disqualification and post-licence restoration periods. The influence of licence disqualification appeared to extend beyond the disqualification period, as offence rates were lower during post-licence restoration than during pre-licence disqualification. Interestingly, the highest rate of offending (both for drink-driving and other traffic offences) was during the pre-licence disqualification period, which suggests offenders are particularly vulnerable to drink and drive while waiting to be sanctioned. A consistent pattern of results was evident across genders and age groups. Additionally, those who were involved in a crash at the same time as their index offence had lower offence rates (compared to those who were not involved in a crash) for all periods, although for general traffic offences, the offence rate was highest in the post-licence restoration period for those who had a crash at index offence. This indicates that being involved in a crash may deter these offenders, at least in the short-term. The implications of the results for managing both first time and repeat offenders are discussed.

Alcohol-related harms and street service care in entertainment districts

Purpose Significant alcohol use increases the risk of injuries and violence in young people. The purpose of this paper is to examine factors associated with receiving street service care for alcohol intoxication, alcohol-related injury or violence among young people in a night-time economy (NTE). Design/methodology/approach Participants included 217 young adults, 135 of whom required street service care on a Friday or Saturday evening in an Australian entertainment district. The remaining 88 young adults were a matched control sample. Participants were surveyed and provided a breathalyser sample. A multinomial logistic regression was conducted to examine the relationship between blood alcohol content (BAC) level, subjective intoxication, gender, illicit drug use, age, preloading, total drinks consumed, and the receipt of care for intoxication, injury, or violence. Findings Of those who received care, 70.4 per cent received it for intoxication, 19.3 per cent for injury, and 10.3 per cent following a violent incident. Male gender and high BAC level were associated with receiving support following a violent incident. High-subjective intoxication and female gender were associated with receiving support for injury. Practical implications Results demonstrate the factors associated with receiving street service care for young people in the NTE experiencing non-emergent health needs. Further research is required to examine the impact of such a service on crime, injuries, and frontline service resources. Originality/value This is the first study to examine factors associated with receiving street service care for alcohol intoxication, injury, or violence in a NTE. Results inform policy and practice relating to the provision of street service care in the NTE for non-emergent health problems, and how this interrelates with other frontline services.