Use of Real-Time Interactive Voice Response in a Study of Stress and Alcohol Consumption

• Published in: Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research Vol. 31; no. 11; pp. 1908 - 1912
• Main Authors: Andersson, Claes, Söderpalm Gordh, Anna H. V., Berglund, Mats
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-11-2007; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
• Subjects: Adult; Alcohol consumption; Alcohol Drinking - blood; Alcohol Drinking - physiopathology; Alcoholism and acute alcohol poisoning; assessments; behavior; Beroendelära; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Phone - economics; Computer Systems; Cost-Benefit Analysis; drinking motives; Ethanol - blood; Female; follow-back; gender; Health Sciences; Health Status; Humans; Hydrocortisone - analysis; Hydrocortisone - metabolism; Hälsovetenskap; Interactive Voice Response (IVR); Interviews as Topic; Male; Medical and Health Sciences; Medical sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Methodology; mobile (cellular); Mobile (Cellular) telephones; patterns; personality; Psychiatry; Psykiatri; real-time and day-after; Real-time and day-after assessments; Saliva - chemistry; Saliva - metabolism; Stress; stress and alcohol; Stress, Physiological - metabolism; Stress, Physiological - physiopathology; Substance Abuse; technology; telephone; telephones; Time Factors; Toxicology; validation; young adulthood; Consumption; Alcohol consumption; Alcoholic beverage; Evaluation; Mobile phone; Interactive Voice Response (IVR); Methodology; Real-time and day-after assessments; Real time; Mobile (Cellular) telephones; Voice; Stress
• ISSN: 0145-6008; 1530-0277
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00520.x

Background:  The goal of this study was to investigate whether Interactive Voice Response is a technology with which to perform real‐time assessments of alcohol consumption and stress.
Methods:  Fifteen subjects (men and women) were recruited from a previous 4‐year intervention study (n = 2,032). The Interactive Voice Response technique was based on mobile telephones. During 1 week, stress and alcohol were measured automatically 3 times daily. In addition, the subjects called the system at the start of the drinking session, and an automated hourly contact was established for the drinking period.
Results:  Of the data collection calls, 305 (97%) were answered. Real‐time drinking was assessed 9 times of 9 (100%). The average length of the IVR assessment was only 28 seconds because of modified technology. Individuals with an estimated blood alcohol concentration above 0.1% under‐reported drinking in their day‐after reports by between 1 and 10 drinks. The same subjects had more pronounced stress reduction than those with lower BAC levels.
Conclusion:  Interactive Voice Response methodology offers a promising new technology for daily as well as real‐time assessments.