Feasibility of Mobile Augmented Reality Intervention Preventing Youth Alcohol Use

DESCRIPTION provided by applicant The overall goal of the proposed project is to leverage a widely disseminated elementary alcohol and other drug use prevention curriculum to create a mobile version that enhances engagement and promotes transfer of learning to out of class decisions The project represents a collaboration among three businesses dedicated to innovative use of technology for alcohol prevention REAL Prevention RP the lead business is a LLC dedicated to commercializing innovative technologies for delivering evidence based health promotion practices RPandapos s communication expertise is in designing narrative based prevention interventions to engage youth audiences RP is partnering with Verasim VS a company specializing in developing Augmented Reality AR approaches to mobilizing health interventions using technology and with D A R E America one of the largest providers of school based alcohol and other drug prevention education to create a modern and mobile learning experience for preventing youth substance use This Phase I SBIR will demonstrate the feasibility of delivering a mobile version of the th grade keepinandapos it REAL kiR social and emotional development and alcohol prevention curriculum using VSandapos s D proprietary AR technology and create a novel real world decision making tool for guided decision making and risk assessment within and beyond the classroom This product leverages Augmented Reality to track the transfer of learning to environments outside of the classroom The relatively high prevalence of adolescent alcohol use in the U S with severe consequences such as increased risk of lifetime addiction and other attendant adverse physical and mental health outcomes underscores the importance of implementing evidence based efforts in late childhood and early adolescence to prevent adolescent alcohol use This project will develop a prototype of the th grade EkiR Mobile technology pilot test EkiR Mobile and revise as needed conduct an independent usability evaluation of the product to determine feasibility and develop a plan for revising EkiR mobile based on these assessments In Phase II a national RCT will be conducted in D A R E classrooms across the United States to establish effectiveness If successful the commercial potential of the project is great given the use of kiR by organizations internationally D A R E andapos s reach alone is million youth PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE The goal of this SBIR Phase I project is to create a mobile th grade keepinandapos it REAL social emotional learning SEL intervention using proprietary Augmented Reality technology to reduce early adolescent alcohol use The interventionandapos s innovative technology increases interactivity and promotes transfer of learning beyond the classroom to develop social and emotional competencies such as risk assessment and decision making The mobile version will be quickly disseminated through the national in international network of REAL Prevention clients that includes of the school districts in the US