Randomized controlled trial of a web-delivered personalized normative feedback intervention to reduce alcohol-related risky sexual behavior among college students.

Psychology of Addictive Behaviors

Neighbors²

2015

Self Cite

Both heavy drinking and related risky sexual behavior among college students are common and are often associated with a number of negative consequences. A previously reported randomized controlled trial showed that a brief personalized normative feedback (PNF) intervention reduced the alcohol consumption and alcohol-related risky sexual behavior of heavy drinking, sexually active college students (Lewis et al., in press). For the present study, we examined what activities students were engaged in when viewing the feedback as well as who they were with and where they were when receiving the intervention. Furthermore, we conducted supplemental analyses with perceived attentiveness as a hypothesized predictor of change using the same sample (N = 480). Findings indicated that most students were engaged in activities when viewing the feedback and that most students viewed the feedback alone and at home. Furthermore, results revealed PNF to be most effective in reducing drinks per week among participants who reported greater attention. Clinical implications and suggestions for additional research examining how attentiveness can be increased during web-based interventions are discussed.

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 69%

“…Web-based interventions have been shown to be efficacious in reducing college student drinking and related risky sexual behavior (Carey, Scott-Sheldon, Elliot, Garey, & Carey, 2012; Cronce & Larimer, 2011; Lewis et al, in press). Web-based interventions are less expensive and less difficult (i.e., no training of facilitators or scheduling sessions, etc.)…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

An examination of college student activities and attentiveness during a web-delivered personalized normative feedback intervention.

Psychology of Addictive Behaviors

Neighbors²

2015

Self Cite

“…Several studies have shown that PNF interventions that reduce normative perceptions subsequently lead to reduction in alcohol use (e.g., Lewis et al, 2014;Neighbors et al, 2004). One recent study by Neighbors et al (2015) examined the efficacy of two drinking interventions, a traditional PNF intervention (own drinking, normative perceptions, actual norms), and a drinking intervention that highlighted the discrepancy between one's own drinking and actual campus drinking norms (own drinking, actual norms).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Chicken or the Egg: Examining Temporal Precedence Among Attitudes, Injunctive Norms, and College Student Drinking

Litt

Neighbors

2015

J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs

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ABSTRACT. Objective: The present study was designed to test for projection, conformity, or reciprocal associations among attitudes, injunctive norms, and drinking. Assuming that these constructs are not independent, we proposed three possible trajectories. A conformity model would suggest that injunctive norms should temporally precede drinking or attitudes. Alternatively, a projection model would suggest that attitudes or alcohol use would precede injunctive norms. Furthermore, by examining the processes over three time points, the current study would also examine whether both conformity and projection processes were at work, indicating reciprocal relationships. Method: Participants included 249 college students (63.1% female), who participated as a control group in a larger intervention trial. Structural equation modeling was used to examine cross-sectional and prospective associations among injunctive norms, attitudes, and drinking across each of the three time points. Results: Findings demonstrated three significant cross-lagged associations. Injunctive norms at Time 1 was significantly associated with drinking at Time 2 (conformity), and both attitudes and drinking at Time 2 were significantly associated with injunctive norms at Time 3 (projection). The pattern of cross-lagged associations suggested one meaningful indirect pathway, from Time 1 injunctive norms to Time 2 drinking to Time 3 injunctive norms (reciprocal association). Conclusions: The present study suggests that both the conformity and the projection processes seem to be important and evident for college student drinking when considering injunctive norms and drinking over time. Interventions that focus on both conformity and projection may be particularly effective at reducing longer-term alcohol use. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 76, 594-601, 2015)

“…There is evidence that web-based formats are useful in reducing alcohol use (for a review, see Larimer & Cronce, 2007) and in reducing sexual-risk behaviors (e.g. Lewis et al, 2014) in college students. Thus, a web-based SARR program for college women may be useful.…”

Section: Web-based Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A randomized controlled trial targeting alcohol use and sexual assault risk among college women at high risk for victimization

Gilmore

Behaviour Research and Therapy

George

2015

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Current sexual assault risk reduction programs do not target alcohol use despite the widespread knowledge that alcohol use is a risk factor for being victimized. The current study assessed the effectiveness of a web-based combined sexual assault risk and alcohol use reduction program using a randomized control trial. A total of 207 college women between the ages of 18 and 20 who engaged in heavy episodic drinking were randomized to one of five conditions: full assessment only control condition, sexual assault risk reduction condition, alcohol use reduction condition, combined sexual assault risk and alcohol use reduction condition, and a minimal assessment only condition. Participants completed a 3-month follow-up survey on alcohol-related sexual assault outcomes, sexual assault outcomes, and alcohol use outcomes. Significant interactions revealed that women with higher incidence and severity of sexual assault at baseline experienced less incapacitated attempted or completed rapes, less incidence/severity of sexual assaults, and engaged in less heavy episodic drinking compared to the control condition at the 3-month follow-up. Web-based risk reduction programs targeting both sexual assault and alcohol use may be the most effective way to target the highest risk sample of college students for sexual assault: those with a sexual assault history and those who engage in heavy episodic drinking.