Background:
Adolescent alcohol use is a continuing problem probably influenced by many motivational factors. Capturing the daily experiences of young people may increase understanding of these factors and momentary sampling provides a possible means to do so. The aim of this study was to develop a mobile phone momentary sampling program to monitor the daily experiences of young people who drink alcohol at high-risk levels and track their moods, stresses and activities across each day. A concurrent aim was to pilot the program in a clinical setting.
Methods:
An electronic diary (ED) run on mobile phones was trailed with eight young people recruited from a youth health clinic that regularly drank alcohol. The ED assessed alcohol use, mood, stresses and activities. Participants were asked to complete the ED four times each day for 1 week and provide feedback about the diary's effectiveness and ease of use.
Results:
Drinking alcohol was associated with cooking/eating and study/homework. While drinking, participants were mostly alone (33.3%) or with their partner (33.3%) and drank to relax (33.3%) or feel good (16.7%). Participants generally had low negative mood while drinking and drank from 0 to 5 times a week.
Conclusions:
After some setbacks, the ED was successfully implemented in a clinical setting. Responses to the diary provided a rich variety of information including information on mood, stresses, activities, alcohol and marijuana use. Participants' feedback on how they found the diary was also useful and provided good suggestions on how to improve the diary for further studies.
