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. 2013 Jun 25;1(1):e9.
doi: 10.2196/mhealth.2709.

"Let's get Wasted!" and Other Apps: Characteristics, Acceptability, and Use of Alcohol-Related Smartphone Applications

Emma R Weaver  1 , Danielle R Horyniak, Rebecca Jenkinson, Paul Dietze, Megan Sc Lim
Affiliations

"Let's get Wasted!" and Other Apps: Characteristics, Acceptability, and Use of Alcohol-Related Smartphone Applications

Emma R Weaver et al. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. .

Abstract

Background: Smartphone applications ("apps") offer a number of possibilities for health promotion activities. However, young people may also be exposed to apps with incorrect or poor quality information, since, like the Internet, apps are mostly unregulated. Little is known about the quality of alcohol-related apps or what influence they may have on young people's behavior.

Objective: To critically review popular alcohol-related smartphone apps and to explore young people's opinions of these apps, their acceptability, and use for alcohol-related health promotion.

Methods: First, a content analysis of 500 smartphone apps available via Apple iTunes and Android Google Play stores was conducted. Second, all available blood alcohol concentration (BAC) apps were tested against four individual case profiles of known BAC from a previous study. Third, two focus group discussions explored how young people use alcohol-related apps, particularly BAC apps.

Results: 384 apps were included; 50% (192) were entertainment apps, 39% (148) were BAC apps, and 11% (44) were health promotion and/or stop drinking-related apps. When testing the BAC apps, there was wide variation in results, with apps tending to overestimate BAC scores compared with recorded scores. Participants were skeptical of the accuracy of BAC apps, and there was an overall concern that these apps would be used as a form of entertainment, further encouraging young people to drink, rather than reduce their drinking and risk taking.

Conclusions: The majority of popular alcohol-related apps encouraged alcohol consumption. Apps estimating blood alcohol concentration were widely available but were highly unreliable. Health departments and prominent health organizations need to endorse alcohol smartphone apps that are accurate and evidence-based to give specific apps credibility in the ever-expanding market of unregulated apps.

Keywords: alcohol drinking; applications; mobile phone; young adult.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Let’s Get Wasted! screenshots showing the way that data are entered and interpreted in the entertainment app.
Figure 2
Figure 2
BAC screenshots showing a list from which users choose their drink and its alcohol content and how the BAC score is presented to users.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Drink Thin screenshots demonstrate the quality of information provided from an app categorized as a health promotion app.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Screenshots from the Alcohol Liver Disease app demonstrating the content presented in health promotion apps.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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