EMA of Substance Use in Homeless Youth
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
The proposed study will provide critical information on Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) design characteristics that promote retention in a vulnerable and under-represented population in research-youth experiencing homelessness. The study will use an EMA app to collect substance use, mood, craving, social surroundings, and trauma measures over a 14-day period in youth age 18-24 (n=40) recruited from Star House, a homeless youth drop-in center. Youth will be randomized in 2x2 factorial design (fixed incentive model vs. prize-based model; random assessment 3x vs. 6x per day).
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Experimental: EMA, 3x/day, fixed incentive Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA; Metricwire). Participants randomized to this group will be sent prompts through the EMA app to complete brief EMA survey at 3 random times per day. Participants randomized to this group will earn a fixed bonus/incentive based on completion of the EMA surveys (50-74%=$3; 75-89%=$5; ≥90%=$10) each week. |
Behavioral: Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA; Metricwire) Prompts 3x/day
Participants receive 3 EMA survey prompts daily for the duration of the study.
Behavioral: Incentive Structure - fixed
Those assigned to the "fixed" incentive condition will earn a fixed bonus based on EMA completion (50-74%=$3; 75-89%=$5; ≥90%=$10) each week.
|
| Experimental: EMA, 6x/day, fixed incentive Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA; Metricwire). Participants randomized to this group will be sent prompts through the EMA app to complete brief EMA survey at 6 random times per day. Participants randomized to this group will earn a fixed bonus/incentive based on completion of the EMA surveys (50-74%=$3; 75-89%=$5; ≥90%=$10) each week. |
Behavioral: Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA; Metricwire) Prompts 6x/day
Participants receive 6 EMA survey prompts daily for the duration of the study.
Behavioral: Incentive Structure - fixed
Those assigned to the "fixed" incentive condition will earn a fixed bonus based on EMA completion (50-74%=$3; 75-89%=$5; ≥90%=$10) each week.
|
| Experimental: EMA, 3x/day, prize-based incentive Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA; Metricwire). Participants randomized to this group will be sent prompts through the EMA app to complete brief EMA survey at 3 random times per day. Participants randomized to this group will be rewarded for high survey completion with increasing numbers of "draws" for prizes depending on their level of response each week (50-74%=1 draw, 75-89%=2 draws, ≥90%=3 draws). |
Behavioral: Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA; Metricwire) Prompts 3x/day
Participants receive 3 EMA survey prompts daily for the duration of the study.
Behavioral: Incentive Structure - prize based
Those assigned to the "prize-based" incentive will be rewarded for high survey completion with increasing numbers of "draws" depending on their level of response to EMA prompts each week (50-74%=1 draw, 75-89%=2 draws, ≥90%=3 draws). For each draw, individuals will use the EMA app to "spin the wheel" to see which prize amount they earn. Out of a total of 500 total draws, 50% will be $1, 43.6% will be $3, 6% will be medium prizes ($5), and 0.4% will be a "jumbo" prize ($90).
|
| Experimental: EMA, 6x/day, prized-based incentive Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA; Metricwire). Participants randomized to this group will be sent prompts through the EMA app to complete brief EMA survey at 6 random times per day. Participants randomized to this group will be rewarded for high survey completion with increasing numbers of "draws" for prizes depending on their level of response each week (50-74%=1 draw, 75-89%=2 draws, ≥90%=3 draws). |
Behavioral: Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA; Metricwire) Prompts 6x/day
Participants receive 6 EMA survey prompts daily for the duration of the study.
Behavioral: Incentive Structure - prize based
Those assigned to the "prize-based" incentive will be rewarded for high survey completion with increasing numbers of "draws" depending on their level of response to EMA prompts each week (50-74%=1 draw, 75-89%=2 draws, ≥90%=3 draws). For each draw, individuals will use the EMA app to "spin the wheel" to see which prize amount they earn. Out of a total of 500 total draws, 50% will be $1, 43.6% will be $3, 6% will be medium prizes ($5), and 0.4% will be a "jumbo" prize ($90).
|
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Length of Time [Baseline to end of trial (day 14)]
Total length of time in days using EMA (range: 1-14 days). Higher values represent greater length of time EMA was used.
- Percent Completion [Baseline to end of trial (day 14)]
Percent of EMA surveys completed (0-100%). Higher values represent a larger percentage of EMA surveys completed.
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
-
currently homeless, defined as lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
-
report any of the following past-month frequencies of substance use (NIDA ASSIST screen) used in prior EMA studies: a) heavy episodic or "binge" drinking (≥4 drinks per day for women/≥5 drinks for men) ≥2 days per month ; b) marijuana use ≥2 days per week; or c) any illicit drug use.
Exclusion Criteria:
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nationwide Children's Hospital | Columbus | Ohio | United States | 43205 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- Nationwide Children's Hospital
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Laura Chavez, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
None provided.- STUDY00000809