A New Zealand version of a popular US smartphone app Step Away will be developed to help Kiwis self-manage their risky drinking.
Natalie Walker, programme leader of the Addiction Team at the University of Auckland Clinical Trials Research Unit, has received a grant from the Health Research Council of New Zealand to determine if six months’ access to a New Zealand Step Away app can reduce the frequency of alcohol abuse in a group of adult hazardous drinkers in Auckland.
The app leads users through coping strategies, monitors how often they drink, identifies ‘triggers’, and gives weekly feedback reports tracking progress.
The app in its current form is unsuitable for New Zealand users as it incorporates North American drinking norms and safe drinking guidelines, and links to US-based care services, Dr Walker explains in a press release.
www.healthyfood.com
