Unitcheck

Description:

Unitcheck involves a brief assessment of alcohol consumption, consequences from drinking, comparison to significant others, demographic information and attitudes towards drinking. The user is then presented with brief feedback with information about how much the individual drinks, how this compares with social norms, and whether the reported level of drinking is hazardous. To access further feedback including information about the consequences of drinking and drinking behaviours, participants need to contact Unitcheck to become a full member.

Service URL:

http://www.unitcheck.co.uk

Agency Responsible:

Leeds Institue of Health Sciences.

Details

Format:

Website.

Intervention Type:

Other. Provides personalised feedback on alcohol intake

Course Length:

Short (less than 1 module or equivalent).

Support Option:

No support.

Target Audience

Primary Category:

Alcohol.

Target Audiences:

Adolescent, Adult and Young Adult.

Language:

English.

Access

Fee:

Free. Limited access is free

Access:

Open: With registration. Full access requires subscription

Contact Details:

unitcheck@leeds.ac.uk

Research evidence

Research Trials:

4

Research RCTs:

1

Outcome Summary:

The effectiveness of Unitcheck in reducing alcohol consumption has been tested in two randomised controlled trials. A study comparing immediate and delayed access to the Unitcheck intervention to an assessment only control group found that the intervention significantly reduced the number of units of alcohol consumed weekly. A previous randomised trial of university students compared Unitcheck to an assessment only control and identified a large, significant decrease in self-reported mean amounts of alcohol consumption per occasion. No significant difference was found in self reported number of units consumed per week, alcohol dependence or the proportion of participants engaging in binge drinking behaviour following the intervention. Another unpublished intervention compared to waitlist control study amongst high school students has also shown Unitcheck to significantly reduce units consumed per week.

Recommended rating, reviewer 1:

Recommended rating, reviewer 2:

Read more about Beacon's Smiley Rating System.

Research paper citations

1. Bewick, B. M., Trusler, K., Mulhern, B., Barkham, M., & Hill, A. J. (2008). The feasibility and effectiveness of a web-based personalised feedback and social norms alcohol intervention in UK university students: A randomised control trial. Addictive Behaviors 33, 1192–1198.
2. Bewick, B. M., Mulhern, B. and Hill, A. J. (2009). Unitcheck and Sixth Form Students: Understanding young peoples’ alcohol related behavior and perceived social norms. University of Leeds: Leeds, UK.
3. Bewick, B. M., Trusler, K., Barkham, M., Hill, A. J., Cahill, J., & Mulhern, B. (2008). The effectiveness of web-based interventions designed to decrease alcohol consumption - A systematic review. Preventive Medicine, 17-26.
4. Bewick, B. M., West, R., Gill, J., O'May, F., Mulhern, B., Barkham, M., Hill, A. J. (2010). Providing web-based feedback and social norms information to reduce student alcohol intake: a multisite investigation. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 12(5), e59.