PURPOSE: A computer-facilitated screening and brief advice (cSBA) intervention was previously shown to reduce drinking among U.S. adolescents but not among Czech youth. The purpose of this study was to assess cSBA effect on heavy episodic drinking (HED). METHODS: Participants were 12- to 18-year-olds at nine U.S. primary care offices (N = 2,096) and 10 Czech pediatrician-generalist offices (N = 589) who completed measurements only during an 18-month treatment-as-usual (TAU) phase. We then initiated the cSBA protocol for all participants and recruited the 18-month cSBA phase. Generalized Estimating Equations logistic regression compared past-90-day HED for cSBA versus TAU at 3- and 12-months, controlling for baseline HED and other covariates. RESULTS: Baseline past-90-day HED rates were 11% for U.S. and 28% for Czech youth. At 3 months, among Czech baseline non-HED, the adjusted relative risk ratio for cSBA versus TAU was .52 (95% confidence interval .29, .92). The effect dissipated by 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: cSBA shows promise for short-term prevention of adolescent HED.

Centre for Evaluation Prevention and Research of Substance Abuse Prague Czech Republic; National Institute of Mental Health Klecany Czech Republic

Department of Counseling and Psychology Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary South Hamilton Massachusetts

Department of Pediatrics Harvard Medical School Boston Massachusetts; Division of Developmental Medicine Boston Children's Hospital Boston Massachusetts; Division of Adolescent Young Adult Medicine Boston Children's Hospital Boston Massachusetts; The Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research Boston Children's Hospital Boston Massachusetts

Department of Pediatrics Harvard Medical School Boston Massachusetts; Division of Developmental Medicine Boston Children's Hospital Boston Massachusetts; The Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research Boston Children's Hospital Boston Massachusetts

University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine Biddeford Maine

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ClinicalTrials.gov
NCT00592956, NCT00592878