Effectiveness of Non-Pharmacological Interventions among Problem Drinkers in Korea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to identify trends in domestic research and conduct a meta-analysis of studies investigating the effects of non-pharmacological interventions targeting domestic problem drinkers. The objectives were to synthesize and analyze the results of these studies, while evaluating potential bias and estimating effect size.Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we searched five domestic databases (RISS, KISS, DBpia, KoreaMed, and Science ON) for journals and theses published until July 2022. Researchers independently assessed study quality using Cochrane RoB 2 or ROBINS-I.Results: Of the 307 studies extracted, 12 were included in systematic review. The meta-analysis included 11 studies on problem drinking and 8 on alcohol abstinence self-efficacy. Random effects models were used for analysis, given the heterogeneity among the studies. Non-pharmacological interventions effectively reduced problem drinking (g=−1.22, 95% CI: −1.69 to −0.75, p＜.001) and enhanced alcohol abstinence self-efficacy (g=1.16, 95% CI: 0.54 to 1.79, p＜.001).Conclusions: Non-pharmacological intervention programs targeting problem drinkers effectively reduced problem drinking and enhanced alcohol abstinence self-efficacy. This study provides valuable evidence for developing and implementing such programs for problem drinkers.