The prevalence of binge drinking among college students has prompted the development of numerous interventions to reduce risky alcohol consumption. Social media-based alcohol interventions have emerged as a promising strategy to enhance accessibility, given the widespread social media use among young adults. Although limited in number, existing social media-based interventions show preliminary efficacy, demonstrating significant reductions in drinking behaviors and higher acceptability ratings. Despite the expanding role of social media platforms in alcohol reduction initiatives, no studies have utilized Instagram as a delivery mechanism for alcohol interventions, representing a significant gap given that Instagram usage surpasses Facebook and Twitter among US young adults. Therefore, the current study aimed to develop and evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and subjective effectiveness of an Instagram-based intervention targeting young adults who engage in binge drinking.
The study evaluated a 6-week Instagram-based alcohol intervention delivered through 42 daily newsfeed posts and 21 Instagram Stories that incorporated motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. Fifty university students aged 18-28 who engaged in at least two binge drinking episodes per month and used Instagram regularly participated in the study. Data collection included validated measures of alcohol use, consequences, protective behaviors, and mindfulness, as well as assessments of intervention feasibility through recruitment and retention metrics, acceptability via Likert-scale ratings, and engagement through post interactions and participant-reported behavioral reflection.
The study demonstrated strong feasibility and acceptability for the Instagram-based intervention. Results showed that 30.4% of screened participants met eligibility criteria, with 66.4% completing orientation and 92.7% completing baseline surveys. Retention rates were high, with 98% initially following the study Instagram page, 100% remained engaged during the intervention, and 90% and 84% completing mid- and post-intervention surveys, respectively. Participants rated the intervention between 3-4 on a 5-point acceptability scale, with 95.2% reporting that content prompted reflection on their drinking. Engagement metrics indicated participants remembered 63% of intervention posts and liked an average of 53% of individual posts. Preliminary effectiveness analyses revealed small to moderate effect sizes for reduced drinking behaviors, including decreases in past-month drinks (d = 0.421), drinking days (d = 0.417), and binge drinking days (d = 0.262). Notably, participants who were exposed to Instagram Stories exhibited greater improvements in binge drinking days (d = 0.345) and alcohol consequences (d = 0.231) compared to those who were not exposed.
Takeaway: Instagram-based interventions appear to be feasible and acceptable for reducing binge drinking among college students, with small to moderate effects on drinking behaviors and greater impact when Instagram Stories are utilized.