Key words: adolescence, alcohol drinking, binge drinking, I-change model, web-based interventions

"Alerta Alcohol; design and evaluation of a web-based computer-tailored intervention for prevention of alcohol consumption and binge drinking in Spanish adolescents"

This dissertation describes the design, implementation and evaluation of ALERTA ALCOHOL, the first online computer-based intervention programme aimed at the prevention of alcohol consumption and binge drinking in Spanish adolescents. ALERTA ALCOHOL is based on the Dutch ‘ALCOHOL ALERT’ programme, which proved to be effective and cost-efficient in reducing binge drinking in Dutch adolescents between 15 and 16 years old.

ALERTA ALCOHOL was well received by Spanish secondary school students, as it offers a potential intervention tool that was functional and easy-to-use. The rate of binge drinking (4/5 or more standard glasses of alcohol for women/men) decreased, although the overall effect was not significant. However, there are some promising indicators of the intervention programme’s effectiveness in reducing heavy episodic drinking (10 or more standard glasses of alcohol).

This project was financed by a grant from the Consejería de salud de la Junta de Andalucía, Spain.