# Optimizing mobile behavioral economic interventions for rural risky drinkers

> **NIH NIH K23** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2021 · $196,560

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Candidate: Dr. Coughlin’s goal is to establish herself as an independent clinical researcher with a systematic
line of research focused on reducing health disparities by developing well-specified, highly effective behavioral
economic mobile health interventions for risky alcohol users. The applicant has a multifaceted and productive
background in behavioral economics and clinical psychology, with F31 and T32 funding from NIAAA since
2014. The overall goal of this K23 is to support Dr. Coughlin in pursuing training and research experiences to
integrate mobile intervention development methods with behavioral economics to address risky alcohol use in
underserved populations. Career Development Plan: Dr. Coughlin’s career development plan builds on her
clinical psychology training and addiction research experience, filling gaps in her professional development to
establish the knowledge base, skills, and professional collaborations to become a leader in the field of mobile
alcohol use interventions for rural populations. Her comprehensive training plan involves participation in
scientific conferences, methods workshops, coursework, and mentorship from leaders in the field, Drs.
Frederic Blow and Inbal Nahum-Shani, along with a team of contributors. These activities will develop her
expertise in: 1) early alcohol use interventions for rural risky drinkers, 2) mobile collection and analysis of
intensive longitudinal daily-level data to inform interventions, and 3) preparation, optimization, and evaluation
of mobile multicomponent interventions. These training experiences interface with the proposed research aims
with the overall goal of improving the effectiveness, efficiency, and equity of behavioral interventions for alcohol
misuse, consistent with the NIAAA’s mission and strategic plans. Research Plan: Dr. Coughlin will use skills
gained through training activities in her complementary research plan, guided by the Multiphase Optimization
Strategy (MOST) framework, to develop a mobile multicomponent behavioral intervention to reduce alcohol
use in rural risky drinkers. She will refine two promising intervention components based on behavioral
economic theories of addiction for remote, text message-based delivery prior to 3-waves of field testing of the
intervention components and focus testing interviews to incorporate iterative end-user feedback from rural risky
drinkers (N=15) recruited from primary care (Aim 1). In the same population and using a randomized factorial
trial, Aim 2 will ensure intervention preparation through assessment of acceptability and technical feasibility of
the intervention components alone and in combination (N=75), along with preliminary evaluation of candidate
behavioral economic mechanisms of change. Consistent with the MOST framework, Aim 2 outcomes will
inform a subsequent R01 submission to optimize the mobile behavioral economically informed (mBE)
intervention in rural risky drinkers. Over the l...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10201456
- **Project number:** 5K23AA028232-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Lara Nicole Coughlin
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $196,560
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-07-01 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10201456

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10201456, Optimizing mobile behavioral economic interventions for rural risky drinkers (5K23AA028232-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10201456. Licensed CC0.

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