A Technology-Based Intervention to Reduce Alcohol Use After Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery: Examination of Six-month Follow-up Outcomes Following a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Individuals who undergo metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) are at increased risk for an alcohol use disorder (AUD). Effective interventions are needed to mitigate this risk. The purpose of this study was to examine outcomes six months after participation in a randomized controlled trial of a technology-based intervention to reduce alcohol use after MBS. METHODS: Patients between 3- and 18-months post-MBS were randomized to the intervention or treatment-as-usual control group. The intervention group completed two brief web-based sessions followed by three months of daily text messaging. Participants completed measures at baseline and at 6-month follow-up. Analyses were adjusted for baseline values. RESULTS: There were 54 participants (90% retention) who completed the 6-month follow-up. Participants were primarily female (90.7%) and White (55.6%) or Black (38.9%), with a mean age of 44 years. At the 6-month follow-up, the intervention group had significantly lower odds of drinking compared to the control group (OR= 0.16, p= .04). The intervention group also consumed significantly fewer drinks per drinking day (F = 6.07, p= .02). There were no significant differences between the intervention and control groups for drinking frequency, ratings on the importance of avoiding alcohol use, or alcohol use disorder symptoms (p> .05). CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that a technology-based intervention for individuals who underwent MBS has the potential to lower alcohol use six months after the intervention concludes. The next step in this line of work is to conduct a fully powered trial to determine efficacy of reducing alcohol use and impact on AUD risk.