Effectiveness of an AI- and Gamification-Based Health Literacy Program for Improving Alcohol-Preventive Behaviors Among Hazardous-Drinking Vocational Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Low health literacy is associated with risky alcohol use among young people, particularly those exposed to social and environmental factors that normalize drinking. In digital contexts, innovative and engaging interventions are needed to strengthen alcohol-preventive competencies among hazardous drinkers. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an online health literacy promotion program integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and gamification in improving health literacy and alcohol-preventive behaviors among hazardous-drinking vocational students. A quasi-experimental two-group pre-test–post-test design with a 1-month follow-up was conducted among 114 first-year Higher Vocational Certificate students aged 18–20 years in Bangkok, Thailand. Participants were assigned to an intervention group (n = 57) or a comparison group (n = 57). The intervention group received the ALC Literacy Program, while the comparison group received standard educational materials on alcohol prevention. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, independent t-tests, and two-way mixed-design repeated-measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc comparisons. At baseline, no significant between-group differences were observed. After the intervention and at 1-month follow-up, the intervention group showed significantly greater improvements in both health literacy and alcohol-preventive behaviors than the comparison group (p < 0.001). Large interaction effect sizes were observed for health literacy (partial η2 = 0.623) and alcohol-preventive behaviors (partial η2 = 0.622). These findings indicate that the ALC Literacy Program was effective in enhancing health literacy and strengthening alcohol-preventive behaviors among hazardous-drinking vocational students. This intervention may represent a potentially useful digital health promotion approach for alcohol prevention in educational settings.