The purpose of the Drinking Behaviors Over the Legal Transition (BOLT) study is to examine the changes in drinking behaviors and contexts before, during, and after turning 21. While many young adults start drinking before 21, being able to drink alcohol legally can mean lots of changes to the circumstances in which you drink. The more we understand about these changes, the better prepared we will be to develop public health messaging and interventions to protect young adults from unsafe drinking.

You may be eligible for this study if you meet the following criteria.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Recently turned 20 years old (6+ months away from turning 21)
• Drink alcohol at least twice a week
• Live in Missouri
• Have a valid Missouri driver’s license
• Willing to complete 5 two-week smartphone study assessments over the course of 12 months

Exclusion Criteria:

• Currently in treatment for / trying to cut down on alcohol use
• Currently pregnant
• Currently taking any medications that make drinking alcohol unsafe
• Currently in another study that requires an app called TigerAware and answering questions from your smartphone

Participation will last 1 year and will take place completely online.

Study Activities:

• Initial online baseline survey
• Two-week “bursts” of daily surveys on your smartphone every 2.5 months leading up to and following your 21st birthday (see T1, T2, etc.)
• Final online follow-up survey at the end of the study.

About the Surveys:

You can complete the initial baseline and final follow-up survey using a computer or laptop, and all other surveys using your smartphone. During each two-week long survey burst, you will be asked to complete about 7 short surveys a day: 1 morning, 5 random, and 1 bedtime. An app will ask you brief questions about things like your current location, activity, and mood. Also, on days that you drink alcohol, we’ll ask you to self-report those and take breathalyzer samples with a provided smartphone breathalyzer.

Participants can earn up to $775 in digital E-gift cards for completing the entire study.

There is no cost for you to participate in our research study.

You can reach the study team by email at muastrulllab@missouri.edu or by phone at 573-214-1278.