TY - JOUR
PY - 2014//
TI - Integrating mHealth Mobile Applications to Reduce High Risk Drinking among Underage Students
JO - Health education journal
A1 - Kazemi, Donna M.
A1 - Cochran, Allyson R.
A1 - Kelly, John F.
A1 - Cornelius, Judith B.
A1 - Belk, Catherine
SP - 262
EP - 273
VL - 73
IS - 3
N2 - OBJECTIVE: College students embrace mobile cell phones (MCPs) as a primary communication and entertainment device. The aim of this study was to investigate college students' perceptions toward using mHealth technology to deliver interventions to prevent high-risk drinking and associated consequences. Design/setting: Four focus group interviews were conducted during the spring and fall of 2011 at a large public university in the southeastern United States of America (USA) to collect data on the applicability of mHealth technology to alcohol-prevention programmes. The participants were students currently enrolled in a face-to-face alcohol-prevention programme.
METHOD: Thematic analysis of the content in the transcriptions was used to analyse the focus group responses using a codebook.
RESULTS: Four major themes emerged which were: (1) education and usability; (2) Skype capabilities; (3) enhanced social networking; and (4) use for tracking and feedback. All of the participants said they would join an alcohol-intervention programme that incorporated mHealth mobile technology as a primary mode of communication.
CONCLUSIONS: The positive responses to the use of mobile applications indicate that use of interactive, real-time technology would be valuable to college students. Given the cost of face-to-face delivery of interventions, the findings are encouraging and support further exploration of the application of mHealth technology. Mobile technologies (mHealth) could provide a more effective delivery of alcohol-intervention programmes and increase the accessibility, relevance, and value of alcohol-intervention programmes. Language: en
LA - en
SN - 0017-8969
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0017896912471044
ID - ref1
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