The effect of alcohol strength on alcohol consumption: a pilot study
type: CreativeWork
description: Background: Excessive alcohol consumption can impair health, lead to intentional and non-intentional harm to the self and others and incurs a large financial burden on society. Effective interventions are required to reduce alcohol consumption and its associated harms at the population level. Replacing regular-strength alcohol with reduced-strength alcohol has the potential to reduce alcohol consumption and, therefore, mitigate alcohol-related harm. To date, there is no high-quality experimental evidence to suggest whether reducing the strength of alcohol is effective at reducing alcohol consumption. Before implementing a randomised controlled trial (RCT), its feasibility, and the acceptability of the intervention, need to be established. Aim: The primary aim of this research project was to establish the feasibility of a RCT to assess the effect of lager (a subtype of beer) strength on lager consumption in a single drinking occasion within licensed premises in the United Kingdom (UK). This project sought to obtain data to estimate key parameters required when designing a RCT and to provide initial insights into the acceptability of reducing the strength of alcohol as an intervention to reduce alcohol consumption. Method: The research project incorporated three stages of study, which utilised different designs. Study One: a single-blind taste discrimination experiment. Study Two: a double-blind randomised controlled crossover pilot trial based within licensed premises in the UK. Study Three: semi-structured qualitative telephone interviews. Findings: Study One: Nineteen frequent lager drinkers aged 18 years and over completed the taste experiment. Most participants (58%) reported that, out of a small range of regular-strength lager brands, Becks® (B) tasted most similar to the reduced-strength lager Bud Light® (BL). B was therefore instated as the control product for the pilot trial, alongside the pre-determined intervention product, BL. Study Two: Thirty-six frequen…
abstract: Background: Excessive alcohol consumption can impair health, lead to intentional and non-intentional harm to the self and others and incurs a large financial burden on society. Effective interventions are required to reduce alcohol consumption and its associated harms at the population level. Replacing regular-strength alcohol with reduced-strength alcohol has the potential to reduce alcohol consumption and, therefore, mitigate alcohol-related harm. To date, there is no high-quality experimental evidence to suggest whether reducing the strength of alcohol is effective at reducing alcohol consumption. Before implementing a randomised controlled trial (RCT), its feasibility, and the acceptability of the intervention, need to be established. Aim: The primary aim of this research project was to establish the feasibility of a RCT to assess the effect of lager (a subtype of beer) strength on lager consumption in a single drinking occasion within licensed premises in the United Kingdom (UK). This project sought to obtain data to estimate key parameters required when designing a RCT and to provide initial insights into the acceptability of reducing the strength of alcohol as an intervention to reduce alcohol consumption. Method: The research project incorporated three stages of study, which utilised different designs. Study One: a single-blind taste discrimination experiment. Study Two: a double-blind randomised controlled crossover pilot trial based within licensed premises in the UK. Study Three: semi-structured qualitative telephone interviews. Findings: Study One: Nineteen frequent lager drinkers aged 18 years and over completed the taste experiment. Most participants (58%) reported that, out of a small range of regular-strength lager brands, Becks® (B) tasted most similar to the reduced-strength lager Bud Light® (BL). B was therefore instated as the control product for the pilot trial, alongside the pre-determined intervention product, BL. Study Two: Thirty-six frequen…
author: Perman-Howe, Parvati Rose
language: en
date published: 2020
date modified: 2026-07-24T03:43:01Z
provider: Oxford Brookes University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Oxford Brookes University

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.24384/2zhq-yf27