The World Health Organization lists alcohol as one of the three primary causes of poor health in the world. As such, it nominates the reduction of the harmful alcohol use as a critical strategy for improving health outcomes globally. This project will develop and test alcohol harm minimisation messages that are effective in encouraging Australian drinkers to modify their intake to reduce their risk of alcohol-related harm. The study builds on the investigators' previous and current research in the areas of efficacious responsible drinking practices and the communication of alcohol harm-minimisation messages.
The proposed research project will focus on the development and testing of messages relating to the enactment of responsible drinking practices (also known as protective behavioural strategies) that are predictive of lower overall and episodic levels of alcohol consumption. The specific aims of the project are as follows:
1. Investigate drinkers' receptivity to engaging in efficacious responsible drinking practices and assess any potential for unintended consequences among drinkers and non-drinkers.
2. Identify barriers and facilitators to compliance with efficacious responsible drinking practices among different segments of drinkers (eg heavier vs lighter drinkers, young vs older drinkers, and males vs females).
3. Develop messages that are effective in communicating efficacious responsible drinking practices.
4. Test these messages to assess their ability to produce changes in drinking behaviours over time among a range of drinker segments.
A multi-method approach involving qualitative and quantitative components will be used to generate the attitudinal and behavioural data required to produce messages that have demonstrated ability to favourably modify drinkers' behaviours.