Online education hubs and chat text messaging to reduce teen binge drinking
Official title: Chat-based Text Messaging and Online Education Hubs for Reducing Alcohol Consumption and Binge Drinking in Adolescents: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Run by The University of Hong Kong · NCT07143565 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This pilot trial will test whether an interactive online information hub plus personalized WhatsApp text messages can help Hong Kong secondary students aged 12–18 who have drunk alcohol in the past year drink less and binge less.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 12 Years to 18 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 100 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | The University of Hong Kong Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Hong Kong and 1 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | November 28, 2025 |
| Main results expected | March 31, 2026 |
| Study ends | May 31, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | January 5, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07143565 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are Hong Kong residents aged 12–18 who have consumed alcohol in the past 12 months, can read Cantonese/Chinese, and use WhatsApp on their phone.
✕Probably not a fit
Those who cannot read Cantonese/Chinese, do not use WhatsApp, have not drunk alcohol in the past year, or are already enrolled in other alcohol control programs are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This pilot randomized trial will recruit Hong Kong residents aged 12–18 who have consumed alcohol in the past 12 months and use WhatsApp, and will randomize participants to receive an interactive online education hub plus chat-based mHealth messages or self-help material. The online hubs deliver alcohol-related information with gamified and engaging content while the WhatsApp messages provide personalized reminders, drinking limits, risk information, psychological support, and alternative activities. Outcomes will focus on changes in overall alcohol consumption and frequency of binge drinking over the follow-up period. Results are intended to inform a larger trial and the potential integration of additional intervention components for adolescent binge drinking prevention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If effective, this approach could help teens cut down on drinking and binge episodes by delivering personalized reminders, risk information, and alternatives through channels they already use.
How similar studies have gone: Similar mHealth and web-based interventions for adolescent substance use have shown modest reductions in drinking in other settings, but combining interactive hubs with chat-based WhatsApp messaging in Hong Kong is relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. being a Hong Kong resident aged between 12-18 years; 2. having consumed alcohol in the past 12-month; 3. Using WhatsApp in their cell phone. Exclusion Criteria: 1. cannot communicate in Cantonese or read Chinese; 2. currently using other alcohol control programs.
Where it's running
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Hong Kong
Hong Kong, Hong Kong Recruiting -
Hong Kong
Hong Kong, Hong Kong Not yet recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Derek Yee Tak CHEUNG
- Email: derekcheung@hku.hk
- Phone: +852 39176652
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.