Personalized alcohol feedback delivered in a one-on-one, face-to-face format serves to decrease both alcohol use and harms in mandated college students. The use of web-delivered personalized alcohol feedback may be clinically useful when working with a mandated student population to reduce alcohol-related harms. Personalized alcohol feedback delivered in a group setting may not be indicated for use with a mandated student population as it does not demonstrate decreases in either alcohol use or harms, possibly because of the normalization of deviant behaviour.
In this randomized trial, 121 mandated college students (33% female, 74% Caucasian, M age ϭ 19.42 years) received either a Brief Motivational Intervention (BMI) with personalized normative feedback (PNF) or the Expectancy Challenge Alcohol Literacy Curriculum (ECALC) to compare effectiveness in reducing alcohol use and associated harms. All participants received either BMI content (n ϭ 63) or ECALC (n ϭ 58). ECALC was delivered as a web-based program with clinician assistance. Measures of alcohol use and harms were completed at baseline and 4 weeks postintervention. ECALC produced significant reductions on all 4 positive expectancy subscales of the Comprehensive Effects of Alcohol Scale (CEOA). Both programs were associated with significant reductions on all alcohol use variables and harms, and expectancies significantly mediated the intervention to outcome relationship in the ECALC condition. There were no significant gender differences. Two one-sided equivalence test indicated superior effects for ECALC compared to BMI on four alcohol use variables (mean blood alcohol concentration, peak blood alcohol concentration, peak drinks per sitting, and drinking days per month), and noninferior to BMI in reducing others (mean drinks per sitting, mean drinks per week, & binge drinking). Superior effects of ECALC versus BMI are based on a short-term follow-up, and longevity of ECALC effects have yet to be established. ECALC has previously been found to be effective as a group-delivered program for male fraternity members, and these findings provide preliminary support for effectiveness for both males and females when delivered individually using a web-based clinician-assisted format.
This study investigated differences in alcohol consumption and the use of protective strategies (i.e., eating and designated drivers) between European American, African American, and Hispanic American college students. Gender differences were also examined. The study sample was drawn from a large southeastern university (n = 567). Data analysis employed regression, factor analysis, and analysis of variance. Results indicate that European Americans students reported a higher incidence of "drunk" episodes per week than other racial/ethnic groups and greater use of specific pre-drinking behaviors such as protective strategies than their non-European American peers. No statistically significant differences were found between the drinking patterns between genders.
Tailgating has been associated with both problem drinking and high-risk behaviors. The purpose of this study was to determine if student participation in game day on-campus tailgating activities is associated with increased alcohol consumption. Employing a convenience sample of 567 university students, the authors compared the alcohol use patterns of students who participated in tailgating activities with students who did not. Survey results indicate that tailgating is positively associated (p < .05) with increased drinking and greater high-risk behaviors for college students. Implications for practice and future research are highlighted.
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