Digitally Prompted Parenting: A Text Message Parent-Based Alcohol Intervention for Incoming College Students

Launched by LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY · Mar 1, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a new way to help parents support their incoming college students in reducing alcohol use. It's called Digitally Prompted Parenting (DPP), and it involves sending helpful text messages to parents during the first 10 weeks of the fall semester. These messages are designed to encourage parents to talk with their students about the risks of alcohol and help them make safer choices. The goal is to see if students whose parents receive these messages drink less and experience fewer problems related to alcohol compared to those whose parents receive standard information on alcohol use.

To participate in this trial, students need to be between 17 and 20 years old, be first-year students at LMU, and have access to a cell phone that can receive texts. Their parents or guardians also need to have a phone and an email address on file at LMU, and they must agree to take part in the study. If eligible, parents will receive the text messages and can share them with their students. This trial is currently not recruiting participants, but it aims to provide valuable insights into how parents can play a role in preventing alcohol misuse among college students.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Student is 17-20 years of age
• • Student is an LMU incoming first-year college student
• • Student has access to a cellular device capable of receiving text messages
• • Student's parent or legal guardian has an email address on file at LMU
• • Student's parent or legal guardian has a cellular device capable of receiving text messages
• • Student's parent or legal guardian received an invitation from the research team to participate
• • Student's parent or legal guardian signed up to access the assigned intervention
• • Student's parent or legal guardian is a resident of the United States
• • Informed consent (or assent, as applicable) is provided
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Student is not 17-20 years of age
• • Student is not an LMU incoming first-year college student
• • Student does not have access to a cellular device capable of receiving text messages
• • Student's parent or legal guardian does not have an email address on file at LMU
• • Student's parent or legal guardian does not have a cellular device capable of receiving text messages
• • Student's parent or legal guardian did not receive an invitation from the research team to participate
• • Student's parent or legal guardian did not sign up to access the assigned intervention
• • Student's parent or legal guardian is not a resident of the United States
• • Informed consent (or assent, as applicable) is not provided