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. 2018 Feb 24;2018(2):CD004148. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004148.pub4

Comparison 1. Brief intervention versus control.

Outcome or subgroup title No. of studies No. of participants Statistical method Effect size
1 Quantity of drinking (g/week) at 12 months 34 15197 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐20.08 [‐28.36, ‐11.81]
2 Quantity of drinking (g/week) at 12 months, restricted to trials at low risk of bias due to allocation concealment 19 8856 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐19.98 [‐30.45, ‐9.51]
3 Quantity of drinking (g/week) at 12 months, restricted to trials at low risk of bias due to attrition 19 8496 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐20.69 [‐31.78, ‐9.60]
4 Quantity of drinking (g/week) at 12 months, with imputation of unknown standard deviations 39 17514 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐19.35 [‐26.90, ‐11.80]
5 Quantity of drinking (g/week) at 12 months, subgrouped by cluster/individual randomisation 34 15197 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐20.08 [‐28.36, ‐11.81]
5.1 Cluster‐randomised 6 2588 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐25.30 [‐42.69, ‐7.91]
5.2 Individually randomised 28 12609 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐18.77 [‐28.01, ‐9.53]
6 Quantity of drinking (g/week) at 12 months, subgrouped by cluster/individual randomisation, varying imputed ICC 34 15197 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐19.41 [‐27.59, ‐11.22]
6.1 Cluster‐randomised 6 2588 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐20.32 [‐33.50, ‐7.14]
6.2 Individually randomised 28 12609 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐18.77 [‐28.01, ‐9.53]
7 Quantity of drinking (g/week) at 12 months, subgrouped by gender 11 4836 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐37.42 [‐54.39, ‐20.45]
7.1 Men 11 3486 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐42.21 [‐64.53, ‐19.89]
7.2 Women 7 1350 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐30.27 [‐58.99, ‐1.55]
8 Quantity of drinking (g/week) at 12 months, subgrouped by gender, excluding trials of men only 7 4036 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐33.12 [‐51.47, ‐14.76]
8.1 Men 7 2686 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐35.16 [‐60.51, ‐9.80]
8.2 Women 7 1350 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐30.27 [‐58.99, ‐1.55]
9 Quantity of drinking (g/week) at 12 months, subgrouped by adolescents/young adults only versus other 34 15197 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐20.08 [‐28.36, ‐11.81]
9.1 Adolescents/young adults only 3 1638 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐7.09 [‐17.18, 2.99]
9.2 Other trials 31 13559 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐22.79 [‐32.42, ‐13.16]
10 Quantity of drinking (g/week) at 12 months, subgrouped by general practice/emergency setting 34 15197 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐20.08 [‐28.36, ‐11.81]
10.1 General practice setting 24 8811 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐25.69 [‐37.30, ‐14.08]
10.2 Emergency care setting 10 6386 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐9.73 [‐17.52, ‐1.93]
11 Quantity of drinking (g/wk) at 12 months, subgrouped by intervention modality (advice versus counselling) 32 13780 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐21.01 [‐30.06, ‐11.96]
11.1 Advice‐based 20 8243 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐32.68 [‐45.75, ‐19.60]
11.2 Counselling‐based 12 5537 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐0.17 [‐2.96, 2.61]
12 Quantity of drinking (g/week) at 12 months, subgrouped by type of control 34 15197 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐20.08 [‐28.36, ‐11.81]
12.1 No alcohol content 18 8606 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐24.41 [‐36.47, ‐12.35]
12.2 Some alcohol content 16 6591 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐12.80 [‐22.93, ‐2.66]
13 Quantity of drinking (g/week), subgrouped by length of follow‐up 38   Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) Subtotals only
13.1 At 6 months 21 10313 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐21.56 [‐31.56, ‐11.55]
13.2 At 8 to 9 months 2 352 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐15.70 [‐34.19, 2.79]
13.3 At 12 months 34 15197 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐20.08 [‐28.36, ‐11.81]
13.4 At 36 months 1 277 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐6.11 [‐79.55, 67.33]
14 Quantity of drinking (g/week), subgrouped by length of follow‐up (6 and 12 months) and restricted to trials with information at both times 18   Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) Subtotals only
14.1 At 6 months 18 9739 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐21.28 [‐31.82, ‐10.75]
14.2 At 12 months 18 9645 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐22.25 [‐34.04, ‐10.47]
15 Quantity of drinking (g/week) at 12 months, subgrouped by effectiveness/efficacy 34 15197 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐20.08 [‐28.36, ‐11.81]
15.1 Effectiveness trials 16 7091 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐27.06 [‐41.49, ‐12.63]
15.2 Efficacy trials 18 8106 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐14.37 [‐23.97, ‐4.76]
16 Frequency of binge drinking (number binges/week) at 12 months 15 6946 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐0.08 [‐0.14, ‐0.02]
17 Frequency of drinking (number binges/week), subgrouped by length of follow‐up (6 & 12 months) and restricted to trials with information at both times 9   Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) Subtotals only
17.1 At 6 months 9 4354 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐0.15 [‐0.22, ‐0.08]
17.2 At 12 months 9 4333 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐0.12 [‐0.23, ‐0.02]
18 Frequency of drinking (number days drinking/week) at 12 months 11 5469 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐0.13 [‐0.23, ‐0.04]
19 Frequency of drinking (number days drinking/week), subgrouped by length of follow‐up (6 & 12 months) and restricted to trials with information at both times 6   Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) Subtotals only
19.1 At 6 months 6 3637 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐0.12 [‐0.24, 0.00]
19.2 At 12 months 6 3658 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐0.16 [‐0.28, ‐0.04]
20 Intensity of drinking (g/drinking day) at 12 months 10 3128 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐0.18 [‐3.09, 2.73]
21 Heavy drinkers at 12 months 18 7623 Risk Difference (M‐H, Random, 95% CI) ‐0.09 [‐0.13, ‐0.04]
22 Binge drinkers at 12 months 10 4456 Risk Difference (M‐H, Random, 95% CI) ‐0.07 [‐0.12, ‐0.02]
23 Laboratory markers ‐ GGT (IU/L) at 12 months 3 1166 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐0.89 [‐3.86, 2.08]
24 Laboratory markers ‐ GGT (IU/L) at 12 months, subgrouped by gender 2 1094 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐0.03 [‐2.52, 2.46]
24.1 Men 2 764 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) ‐2.08 [‐6.10, 1.95]
24.2 Women 2 330 Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI) 1.23 [‐1.94, 4.40]