Self-Monitoring Alcohol And health Risks Tool (SMAART) App
A program to reduce unhealthy alcohol use among college students through the use of a smartphone app.
Program Outcomes
- Alcohol
Program Type
- Alcohol Prevention and Treatment
Program Setting
- Online
Continuum of Intervention
- Selective Prevention
Age
- Early Adulthood (19-24)
Gender
- Both
Race/Ethnicity
- All
Endorsements
Blueprints: Promising
Program Information Contact
Nicolas Bertholet, MD, MSc
Associate Professor, Head Physician
Department of Psychiatry
Lausanne University Hospital
Bugnon 23 A
1011 Lausanne
Switzerland
nicolas.bertholet@chuv.ch
Program Developer/Owner
Nicolas Bertholet, MD, MSc
University of Lausanne
Brief Description of the Program
Self-Monitoring Alcohol And health Risks Tool (SMAART) App is a brief six-module smartphone app intervention that gives feedback on self-reported alcohol consumption, estimates blood alcohol concentration, presents a self-monitoring tool with information on recommended limits, enables users to set goals, selects designated drivers through analysis of photos, and presents fact sheets.
The SMAART App is available in Switzerland and Canada for use in French and English.
Self-Monitoring Alcohol And health Risks Tool (SMAART) App is a brief six-module smartphone app intervention. The SMAART App is available in Switzerland and Canada for use in French and English.
Module 1
Personalized feedback - This module provides normative feedback and information on the health risks associated with the user's reported consumption. The reported alcohol consumption is compared to national (Switzerland, Canada) norms for people of the same age and sex with an emphasis on the percentage of people drinking less than the user. Additionally, the calorific content of the user's consumption is indicated and presented in terms that are equivalent to hamburgers.
Module 2
Blood alcohol content - This module estimates the blood alcohol content that users reach with a particular reported consumption and indicates the risks associated with different levels of blood alcohol content. The module also computes how long before the alcohol is eliminated.
Module 3
Self-monitoring - This module invites users to report their daily drinking and then their drinking patterns are presented graphically along with recommended drinking limits.
Module 4
Goal-setting - This module enables users to set themselves drinking limitations for one, two, seven, or 30 days. They are then invited to log their daily drinking. Users receive virtual badges when they drink at or below their self-determined drinking limits.
Module 5
Designated driver - This module allows users to take pictures of themselves and their friends. The app then randomly picks the picture of the designated sober driver.
Module 6
Fact sheets - This module presents fact sheets on alcohol and health (i.e., effects of alcohol on the human body, diseases caused by alcohol, acute and long-term effects of alcohol use on health, addiction), and available resources (treatment options and contacts).
Outcomes
Primary Evidence Base for Certification
Study 1
Bertholet et al. (2023) found that throughout the 12-month follow-up period, the intervention group relative to the control group reported significantly lower
- drinks per week,
- heavy drinking days, and
- maximum number of drinks.
Brief Evaluation Methodology
Primary Evidence Base for Certification
The one study Blueprints has reviewed (Study 1) meets Blueprints evidentiary standards (specificity, evaluation quality, impact, dissemination readiness). The study was done by the developer.
Study 1
Bertholet et al. (2023) conducted a randomized controlled trial to examine 1,770 students attending four universities in Lausanne, Switzerland, who had reported unhealthy alcohol use. After random assignment to an intervention group or a control group, the students completed online assessments of alcohol use at three, six, and 12 months.
Protective Factors
Individual: Perceived risk of drug use
*
Risk/Protective Factor was significantly impacted by the program
Subgroup Analysis Details
Subgroup differences in program effects by race, ethnicity, or gender (coded in binary terms as male/female) or program effects for a sample of a specific racial, ethnic, or gender group:
Study 1 did not examine differences in program benefits by race, ethnicity, gender, or economic disadvantage.
Sample demographics including race, ethnicity, and gender for Blueprints-certified studies:
The Swiss sample averaged 22.4 years of age and included 54.1% women and 66.0% bachelor's degree students.
No training or materials are necessary as this is a fully self-guided, online, free-of-charge intervention that may be accessed using a smartphone app. The SMAART App is available in Switzerland and Canada in French and English.
Source: Washington State Institute for Public Policy
All benefit-cost ratios are the most recent estimates published by The Washington State Institute for Public Policy for Blueprint programs implemented in Washington State. These ratios are based on a) meta-analysis estimates of effect size and b) monetized benefits and calculated costs for programs as delivered in the State of Washington. Caution is recommended in applying these estimates of the benefit-cost ratio to any other state or local area. They are provided as an illustration of the benefit-cost ratio found in one specific state. When feasible, local costs and monetized benefits should be used to calculate expected local benefit-cost ratios. The formula for this calculation can be found on the WSIPP website.
Start-Up Costs
Initial Training and Technical Assistance
No training or materials are necessary as this is a fully self-guided, online, free-of-charge intervention that may be accessed using a smartphone app. The SMAART App is available in Switzerland and Canada in French and English.
Curriculum and Materials
No information is available
Licensing
No information is available
Other Start-Up Costs
No information is available
Intervention Implementation Costs
Ongoing Curriculum and Materials
No information is available
Staffing
No information is available
Other Implementation Costs
No information is available
Implementation Support and Fidelity Monitoring Costs
Ongoing Training and Technical Assistance
No information is available
Fidelity Monitoring and Evaluation
No information is available
Ongoing License Fees
No information is available
Other Implementation Support and Fidelity Monitoring Costs
No information is available
Other Cost Considerations
No information is available
Year One Cost Example
No information is available
Program Developer/Owner
Nicolas Bertholet, MD, MScAssociate Professor, Head PhysicianUniversity of LausanneDepartment of PsychiatryLausanne University Hospital1011 LausanneSwitzerlandnicolas.bertholet@chuv.ch
Program Outcomes
- Alcohol
Program Specifics
Program Type
- Alcohol Prevention and Treatment
Program Setting
- Online
Continuum of Intervention
- Selective Prevention
Program Goals
A program to reduce unhealthy alcohol use among college students through the use of a smartphone app.
Population Demographics
College students with unhealthy alcohol use.
Target Population
Age
- Early Adulthood (19-24)
Gender
- Both
Race/Ethnicity
- All
Subgroup Analysis Details
Subgroup differences in program effects by race, ethnicity, or gender (coded in binary terms as male/female) or program effects for a sample of a specific racial, ethnic, or gender group:
Study 1 did not examine differences in program benefits by race, ethnicity, gender, or economic disadvantage.
Sample demographics including race, ethnicity, and gender for Blueprints-certified studies:
The Swiss sample averaged 22.4 years of age and included 54.1% women and 66.0% bachelor's degree students.
Other Risk and Protective Factors
Lack of information and understanding about alcohol use and normative drinking patterns
Risk/Protective Factor Domain
- Individual
Risk/Protective Factors
Risk Factors
Protective Factors
Individual: Perceived risk of drug use
*Risk/Protective Factor was significantly impacted by the program
Brief Description of the Program
Self-Monitoring Alcohol And health Risks Tool (SMAART) App is a brief six-module smartphone app intervention that gives feedback on self-reported alcohol consumption, estimates blood alcohol concentration, presents a self-monitoring tool with information on recommended limits, enables users to set goals, selects designated drivers through analysis of photos, and presents fact sheets.
The SMAART App is available in Switzerland and Canada for use in French and English.
Description of the Program
Self-Monitoring Alcohol And health Risks Tool (SMAART) App is a brief six-module smartphone app intervention. The SMAART App is available in Switzerland and Canada for use in French and English.
Module 1
Personalized feedback - This module provides normative feedback and information on the health risks associated with the user's reported consumption. The reported alcohol consumption is compared to national (Switzerland, Canada) norms for people of the same age and sex with an emphasis on the percentage of people drinking less than the user. Additionally, the calorific content of the user's consumption is indicated and presented in terms that are equivalent to hamburgers.
Module 2
Blood alcohol content - This module estimates the blood alcohol content that users reach with a particular reported consumption and indicates the risks associated with different levels of blood alcohol content. The module also computes how long before the alcohol is eliminated.
Module 3
Self-monitoring - This module invites users to report their daily drinking and then their drinking patterns are presented graphically along with recommended drinking limits.
Module 4
Goal-setting - This module enables users to set themselves drinking limitations for one, two, seven, or 30 days. They are then invited to log their daily drinking. Users receive virtual badges when they drink at or below their self-determined drinking limits.
Module 5
Designated driver - This module allows users to take pictures of themselves and their friends. The app then randomly picks the picture of the designated sober driver.
Module 6
Fact sheets - This module presents fact sheets on alcohol and health (i.e., effects of alcohol on the human body, diseases caused by alcohol, acute and long-term effects of alcohol use on health, addiction), and available resources (treatment options and contacts).
Theoretical Rationale
The theoretical bases for the smartphone app involve norms perception and risk perception. Perceived norms are a strong predictor of alcohol use. Research has shown that college students have high levels of misperception (difference between one's actual behavior and what one believes is true of others). Providing information on actual norms encourages individuals to reduce their levels of alcohol use, moving closer to population norms. Likewise, acquiring a more accurate perception of risk is expected to lead to decreases in drinking.
Brief Evaluation Methodology
Primary Evidence Base for Certification
The one study Blueprints has reviewed (Study 1) meets Blueprints evidentiary standards (specificity, evaluation quality, impact, dissemination readiness). The study was done by the developer.
Study 1
Bertholet et al. (2023) conducted a randomized controlled trial to examine 1,770 students attending four universities in Lausanne, Switzerland, who had reported unhealthy alcohol use. After random assignment to an intervention group or a control group, the students completed online assessments of alcohol use at three, six, and 12 months.
Outcomes (Brief, over all studies)
Primary Evidence Base for Certification
Study 1
Bertholet et al. (2023) found that throughout the 12-month follow-up period, the intervention group relative to the control group reported significantly lower drinks per week, heavy drinking days, and maximum number of drinks.
Outcomes
Primary Evidence Base for Certification
Study 1
Bertholet et al. (2023) found that throughout the 12-month follow-up period, the intervention group relative to the control group reported significantly lower
- drinks per week,
- heavy drinking days, and
- maximum number of drinks.
Generalizability
One study meets Blueprints standards for high-quality methods with strong evidence of program impact (i.e., "certified" by Blueprints): Study 1 (Bertholet et al., 2023). The study took place at four universities in Lausanne, Switzerland and compared the intervention group to an attention-procedure control group.
Notes
Study 1 (Bertholet et al., 2023) was pre-registered (ISRCTN 10007691).
Endorsements
Blueprints: Promising
Program Information Contact
Nicolas Bertholet, MD, MSc
Associate Professor, Head Physician
Department of Psychiatry
Lausanne University Hospital
Bugnon 23 A
1011 Lausanne
Switzerland
nicolas.bertholet@chuv.ch