Moderators of outcome in a technology-based intervention to prevent and reduce problem drinking among adolescents

• Most relevant moderators of technology-based alcohol interventions among adolescents are unknown.
• Multiple moderators of a technology-based alcohol intervention were tested.
• Smoking status and educational level were identified to moderate intervention effectiveness.
• Technology-based alcohol interventions should be delivered to adolescents who are highly-educated or smoke – also if they belong to the group of lower-risk drinkers.

IntroductionModerators of outcome are investigated in a technology-based intervention that has been shown to effectively reduce binge drinking among adolescents.MethodsSecondary data analyses were performed on socio-demographic, health-related, and socio-cognitive moderators of intervention efficacy. Students attending 80 vocational and upper secondary school classes with different levels of alcohol use were randomized to either a web- and text messaging-based intervention (n = 547) or an assessment-only control group (n = 494). Moderators of outcome were analysed across the entire sample, and separately for lower-risk and higher-risk drinkers.ResultsBased on an intention-to-treat analysis, we identified smoking status and educational level to moderate the intervention effectiveness across the total sample and in the lower-risk subsample, with a greater reduction in binge-drinking prevalence in smokers versus non-smokers, and in more highly-educated versus less-educated adolescents.ConclusionsTechnology-based interventions targeting heavy drinking might be especially effective in smokers and highly-educated adolescents. Interventions can prevent low-risk drinkers that smoke from developing a problematic alcohol use.