# Mobile Health Intervention to Increase Substance-Free Activities During Alcohol Treatment

> **NIH NIH K23** · UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA · 2021 · $193,320

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ ABSTRACT
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a highly prevalent and significant public health problem. Behavioral treatments
based in the principles of social learning theory and cognitive behavior therapy have been developed and
tested for AUD, yet effect sizes are relatively small and rates of relapse following treatment are high.
Theoretically informed adjunctive interventions may help to enhance the effects of extant AUD treatments. In
particular, evidence suggests that environments lacking in substance-free (SF) activities contribute to the
development and maintenance of AUD and that the availability of rewarding SF activities may serve as viable
alternatives to compete with alcohol use. Building on the advantages of accessibility and low-cost option
afforded by the use of mobile technology, this K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development
Award proposal outlines a well-integrated research and training plan to investigate a mobile health intervention
to increase engagement in rewarding SF activities among patients in AUD treatment. This proposed research
aims to develop and evaluate a mobile phone ecological momentary assessment plus ecological momentary
intervention (EMA+EMI; entitled: mobile – Rewarding Activity Centered Treatment (m-ReACT)) app to
augment existing AUD treatment. The m-ReACT app will monitor self-reported rewarding SF activity
engagement in real-time and deliver personalized feedback that encourages participants to engage in highly
rewarding activities that are goal-oriented and support positive treatment outcomes. This proposed intervention
will be developed in two phases. Phase 1 will develop the m-ReACT app through a series of focus groups and
usability studies and Phase 2 will evaluate its efficacy in randomized control pilot trial with a sample of 50 AUD
patients who have recently initiated outpatient AUD treatment. Participants in the pilot RCT will be randomly
assigned to either the m-ReACT condition or an active control condition. It is hypothesized that m-ReACT will
result in increased rates of percent days of alcohol abstinence and increased reinforcement from SF activities.
This research plan provides the PI the essential hands-on learning and mentored training in development and
delivery of technology enhanced interventions, design and implementation of EMA+EMI platforms, qualitative
methodology, and advanced statistical approaches. Successful completion of this K23 award will provide the PI
essential training to be able to transition to an independent investigator role examining novel interventions to
enhance AUD treatment. This proposal is highly consistent with NIAAA’s current funding priorities of funding
projects that use mobile technology to improve the effectiveness, accessibility, and use of behavioral
interventions for AUD.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10266759
- **Project number:** 5K23AA028269-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
- **Principal Investigator:** Lidia Meshesha
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $193,320
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-20 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10266759

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10266759, Mobile Health Intervention to Increase Substance-Free Activities During Alcohol Treatment (5K23AA028269-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10266759. Licensed CC0.

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