TUCAN - Virtual coach to reduce alcohol consumption

What is it about?

Alcohol consumption increases the risk of cancer. Until recently, this effect was attributed to high levels of drinking. However, new evidence showed that even small amounts of alcohol are associated with increased risks. Therefore, abstaining from alcohol is the best way to avoid cancer. Reducing alcohol use in the population is a major challenge, as Germany is a country of high alcohol consumption. One task of preventive health services research is to raise awareness of the fact that alcohol in the body is generally a risk for developing cancer. However, there is no systematic prevention measure that addresses this issue yet.

The aim of the TUCAN project is to develop and gradually optimize an e-health intervention based on feedback from the target group in a mixed methods approach. In three study phases, an individualized intervention based on psychological theory and qualitative evidence will be developed, and then tested for its feasibility and potential to reduce alcohol consumption. The aim of the intervention – in the form of a virtual coach – will be to motivate people to reduce their alcohol consumption, regardless of how much they drink.

The project is funded by the German Cancer Aid and carried out in collaboration with the Department of Methods in Community Medicine Methods at the University Medicine Center Greifswald led by Prof. Dr. Sophie Baumann.

The TUCAN sub-studies have been/are pre-registered in the Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/gm4tf/

Project duration: January 2023 - June 2026