Feasibility and Acceptability of e-Screening and Brief Intervention and Tailored Text Messaging for Marijuana Use in Pregnancy

Background: There are at present no evidence-based interventions for marijuana use during pregnancy, despite it being by far the most commonly used illicit drug during pregnancy. Lack of treatment-seeking, combined with implementation challenges, has limited the extent to which at-risk women receive interventions of any kind. This study sought to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of two high-reach technology-based interventions: electronic screening and brief intervention (e-SBI) and tailored text messaging, delivered either alone or in combination. Materials and Methods: In this exploratory feasibility trial, pregnant women seeking prenatal care services and scoring positive for marijuana use risk (n = 45) were randomly assigned to e-SBI, text messaging, or e-SBI plus text messaging. We examined completion rates and acceptability ratings as a function of intervention condition and participant characteristics. Results: All participants assigned to receive the e-SBI (n = 30) were able to complete it during the in-clinic baseline session. Participants assigned to text messaging (n = 30) received a median of 24 text messages before giving birth; 6 of 30 (20%) chose to end text messages before giving birth. Acceptability ratings for the e-SBI were high, with most being above 4.4 on a 5-point scale (e.g., for ease of use, respectfulness, and helpfulness). Acceptability ratings for some aspects of the texting intervention were also high (e.g., for ease of understanding and respectfulness). Participants in the combined e-SBI plus texting condition chose to stop messages at a rate of 13.3% (2 of 15), versus 26.7% (4 of 15) in the texting-only condition (p = 0.37). Conclusions: These two high-reach intervention elements showed strong feasibility and modest to high acceptability. Future efforts evaluating efficacy are warranted, and should specifically examine the possibility that combining text messaging with a brief intervention may promote retention.