# BEATS: Binge drinking Ecological Antecedents with Transdermal alcohol monitoring Study.

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2024 · $142,239

## Abstract

PROJECT ABSTRACT
 Binge drinking (defined as drinking five or more drinks on one occasion for men, and four or more drinks
for women), is highly prevalent in the US. Binge drinking accounts for more than half of the 80,000 annual deaths
attributed to excessive alcohol consumption and its economic costs exceeds $191 billion in the US. National HIV
Behavioral Surveillance data indicate that 48% of heterosexual men, 58% of men who have sex with men, and
40% of heterosexual women reported binge drinking (past 30 days). Binge drinking has been independently
associated with condomless sex and HIV infection. Binge drinking is by far the most prevalent exposure linked
to HIV infections. Current interventions for binge drinking and binge-drinking associated sexual behaviors remain
limited. Most binge drinkers have never participated in alcohol or drug treatment programs and the vast majority
of binge drinkers (90%) do not meet criteria for severe AUD. Real-time data on binge drinking and sexual
episodes around binge drinking can inform interventions and there is a great need to examine the psychosocial
factors that precede and predict these behaviors—i.e., the antecedents of binge alcohol and binge-drinking
associated sexual risk behaviors. Ecological momentary assessments (EMA) is a method of collecting real-time
data about an individual’s behaviors and experiences, often administered via cell phones. EMA can capture the
contextual factors and circumstances preceding drinking behaviors, thereby providing a more nuanced
understanding of the immediate antecedents of binge drinking. Recent advances in biosensor technology include
the availability of wrist-worn monitors that can collect data on alcohol use, estimate number of drinks, and identify
binge drinking episode using transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC). Hence, real-time data from EMA and
biosensors for TAC can identifying high-risk situations and opportunities for personalized interventions. This
study will develop risk prediction models for binge drinking and binge-drinking associated sexual behavior, which
can ultimately help inform the development ecological momentary interventions (EMI) that will target high risk
periods for binge drinking and binge-drinking associated sexual behaviors.
Research Design Summary: This study, entitled “BEATS: Binge drinking Ecological Antecedents with
Transdermal alcohol monitoring Study,” will enroll 100 sexually-active adults who binge drink alcohol and assess
real-time antecedents for binge-drinking and binge-drinking associated sexual behaviors using EMA during a 30-
day follow-up. Participants will also wear a small wrist biosensor that will track alcohol consumption and measure
TAC continuously for 30 days. Data from the EMA and TAC will be analyzed using machine learning approaches
to develop algorithms that predict risk for binge drinking (Aim 1) and binge-drinking associated sexual behaviors
(Aim 2). We will also examine the feasibility and acceptabilit...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10931569
- **Project number:** 5R21AA031411-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** Glenn-Milo Santos
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $142,239
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-09-20 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10931569

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10931569, BEATS: Binge drinking Ecological Antecedents with Transdermal alcohol monitoring Study. (5R21AA031411-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10931569. Licensed CC0.

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