Nurse Researcher Reaching

Out to Women With Problem

Drinking Habits Through a

Web-based Study

Contact: Pam Roe
S218 School of Nursing
(573) 884-2690

March 28, 2006

COLUMBIA , Mo. – Thousands of individuals appear to be independently finding alcohol treatment Web sites simply by using search engines. And now, a researcher from the MU Sinclair School of Nursing is reaching out to women who live in rural Missouri and want to cut back or quit drinking alcohol.

Research findings indicate significantly more women are involved in web-based alcohol treatment compared to traditional face-to-face programs. This may relate to the increased stigma women experience related to alcohol problems and the fact that the web can offer greater confidentiality and anonymity.

“A surprising finding is that individuals who use online alcohol treatment options tend to be older than those in traditional treatment programs,” said Deb Finfgeld Connett, associate professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia 's Sinclair School of Nursing. “This means the web may offer an alternative method for reaching aging individuals with alcohol problems. Since the web eliminates geographic barriers, on-line programs also have the potential to reach individuals in rural areas.”

Finfgeld Connett started the Self-Help Program for Women with Problem Drinking Habits in Rural Missouri with the help of $220,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health. She is studying if the web can provide an effective treatment option for individuals who would like to cut back or quit drinking alcohol altogether.

“Although abstinence is a legitimate goal, cutting back is also an acceptable aim within many online programs,” Finfgeld Connett said. “Most web-based programs are not designed to treat severe or acute alcohol abuse problems, since it is thought that those conditions are most appropriately handled in face-to-face settings.”

In keeping with the demographic of web users, individuals who access the web versus traditional alcohol treatment programs tend to be more highly educated and are more likely to be employed, she said.

However, Finfgeld Connett warns that although there are advantages to web-based treatment, consumers should be aware that it is easy for someone to say they are an expert in mental health. For this reason, it is important to check practitioners' credentials and affiliations before enrolling in web-based programs. She encourages individuals to look for web addresses ending in .edu or web pages that display the Health on the Net Foundation (HON) code of conduct emblem.

If you are interested in participating in Finfgeld Connett's web-based alcohol treatment program call her at 877-833-3701 (toll free) or 573-884-7255 between 8 and 5 Monday through Friday. More information is also available at: http://www.missouri.edu/~finfgeldd/ To participate, women must be at least 18 years old, be able to use the internet and live in rural Missouri.

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