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Testing the effects of e-mailed personalized feedback on risky alcohol use among college students. Assessing the immediate impact of normative drinking information using an immediate post-test randomized controlled design: implications for normative feedback interventions? A Randomized Trial of Motivational Interviewing and Feedback with Heavy Drinking College Students Results of a Social Norm Intervention to Prevent Binge Drinking Among First-year Residential College Students A Multisite Randomized Trial of Social Norms Marketing Campaigns to Reduce College Student Drinking: A Replication Failure How much loss to follow-up is acceptable in long-term randomised trials and prospective studies? Computer versus in-person intervention for students violating campus alcohol policy. A comparative multi-level analysis of contextual drinking in American and Canadian adults. Mailed personalized normative feedback as a brief intervention for at-risk college drinkers. 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Evaluating two brief substance-use interventions for mandated college students. Reducing Alcohol Use in College Students: A Controlled Trial of Two Brief Interventions Clinical outcomes of a brief motivational intervention for heavy drinking mandated college students: a pilot study. Randomized controlled trial of web-based alcohol screening and brief intervention in primary care. Randomized controlled trial of proactive web-based alcohol screening and brief intervention for university students. Acceptability of various brief intervention approaches for hazardous drinking among university students. Controlled study of brief personalized assessment-feedback for drinkers interested in self-help. Substance use patterns among first-year college students: secondary effects of a combined alcohol intervention. What makes group MET work? A randomized controlled trial of college student drinkers in mandated alcohol diversion. 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Trial of the university assistance program for alcohol use among mandated students. Lifetime alcohol use, abuse and dependence among university students in Lebanon: exploring the role of religiosity in different religious faiths. Efficacy of web-based personalized normative feedback: a two-year randomized controlled trial. Using personalized feedback to reduce alcohol use among hazardous drinking college students: the moderating effect of alcohol-related negative consequences. Brief motivational intervention and alcohol expectancy challenge with heavy drinking college students: a randomized factorial study. A Randomized Test of a Small-Group Interactive Social Norms Intervention A new decisional balance measure of motivation to change among at-risk college drinkers. Randomized controlled trial of web-based decisional balance feedback and personalized normative feedback for college drinkers. Evaluation of two Web-based alcohol interventions for mandated college students. 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Assessment may conceal therapeutic benefit: findings from a randomized controlled trial for hazardous drinking. Preventing high-risk drinking in youth in the workplace: a web-based normative feedback program. Social-norms interventions for light and nondrinking students Efficacy of counselor vs. computer-delivered intervention with mandated college students. Peer enhancement of a brief motivational intervention with mandated college students. Oxalic acid does not influence nonhaem iron absorption in humans: a comparison of kale and spinach meals Two brief alcohol interventions for mandated college students. Development of a Web-based alcohol intervention for university students: processes and challenges. Drink less or drink slower: the effects of instruction on alcohol consumption and drinking control strategy use. Alcohol prevention on college campuses: the moderating effect of the alcohol environment on the effectiveness of social norms marketing campaigns. 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Using Facebook to deliver a social norm intervention to reduce problem drinking at university. Randomized controlled trial of the effects of completing the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test questionnaire on self-reported hazardous drinking. Randomized controlled trial of motivational interviewing compared with drug information and advice for early intervention among young cannabis users. Which came first: the readiness or the change? Longitudinal relationships between readiness to change and drinking among college drinkers. Readiness to change in brief motivational interventions: a requisite condition for drinking reductions? Web-based alcohol prevention for incoming college students: a randomized controlled trial. Electronic screening and brief intervention for risky drinking in Swedish university students--a randomized controlled trial. Are effects from a brief multiple behavior intervention for college students sustained over time? Examination of posttraining supervision of peer counselors in a motivational enhancement intervention to reduce drinking in a sample of heavy-drinking college students. 21st birthday celebratory drinking: evaluation of a personalized normative feedback card intervention.
Research has demonstrated the efficacy of brief motivational interventions ( BMI ) and alcohol expectancy challenge ( AEC ) in reducing alcohol use and /or problems among college students . However , little is known about variables that may qualify the effectiveness of these approaches . The present analyses tested the hypothesis that need for cognition ( NFC ) , impulsivity/sensation seeking ( IMPSS ) and readiness to change ( RTC ) would moderate the effects of BMI and AEC .  Participants ( N = 335 ) were heavy drinking college students enrolled in a r and omized 2 x 2 factorial study of BMI and AEC .  Latent growth curve analyses indicated significant interactions for BMI x NFC and AEC x RTC on alcohol use but not problems . Simple slopes analyses were used to probe these relationships and revealed that higher levels of NFC at baseline were associated with a stronger BMI effect on drinking outcomes over time . Similarly , higher levels of baseline RTC were associated with stronger AEC effects on alcohol use . Future preventive interventions with this population may profit by considering individual differences and targeting approaches accordingly OBJECTIVE This study examined the effectiveness of three peer-facilitated brief alcohol interventions -small group motivational interviewing , motivationally enhanced peer theater , and an interactive alcohol-education program-with  students engaging in high-risk drinking who were referred for alcohol policy violations . METHOD Undergraduate students referred for alcohol policy violations ( N = 695 ) at a large northeastern public university were r and omized to one of the three conditions . Six-month follow-up data were collected on drinking frequency and quantity , negative consequences , use of protective behaviors , and perceptions of peers ' drinking norms . RESULTS There were no statistically significant overall pre-post effects or treatment effects . However , exploratory analyses indicated that decreases in perceived norms and increases in use of protective behavioral strategies were associated with reductions in alcohol use and alcohol-related problems at follow-up ( p < .01 ) . CONCLUSIONS The presence of nonsignificant pre-post or main effects is , in part , consistent with recent research indicating that sanctioned college students may immediately reduce drinking in response to citation and that brief interventions may not contribute to additional behavioral change . The presence of statistically significant correlations between alcohol use and related problems with corrections in norms misperceptions and increased use of protective behaviors at the individual level holds promise for both research and practice . The integration of elements addressing social norms and use of protective behaviors within brief cognitive-behavioral intervention protocol s delivered by trained peer facilitators warrants further study using r and omized clinical trials Alcohol use among college students has been associated with injunctive norms , which refer to the perceived acceptability of excessive drinking , and descriptive norms , which refer to perceptions of actual drinking . The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a brief injunctive norms manipulation on both injunctive and descriptive norms about drinking alcohol and to explore differences in the malleability of norms across referent groups , sex , and gender role . Participants were 265 undergraduates ( 43 % male , 70 % freshmen ) who completed a web-based survey for course credit . A r and omly selected half was exposed to a page of information-based feedback about typical student injunctive norms . Relative to the control condition , the manipulation produced lower injunctive and descriptive norms related to typical students ' drinking but no change in either type of norm related to close friends . Femininity was associated with less permissive normative beliefs about the acceptability of excessive drinking whereas masculinity was associated with elevated perceptions of peer drinking , but neither sex nor gender role moderated the manipulation effect . We conclude that perceptions of peer approval of drinking are malleable with a very brief information-based manipulation Energy drink consumption has been anecdotally linked to the development of adverse cardiovascular effects in consumers , although clinical trials to support this link are lacking . The effects of Red Bull ® energy drink on cardiovascular and neurologic functions were examined in college-aged students enrolled at Winona State University . In a double-blind experiment where normal calorie and low calorie Red Bull ® were compared to normal and low calorie placebos , no changes in overall cardiovascular function nor blood glucose ( mg/dL ) were recorded in any participant ( n = 68 ) throughout a 2-h test period . However , in the second experiment , nine male and twelve female participants subjected to a cold pressor test ( CPT ) before and after Red Bull ® consumption showed a significant increase in blood sugar levels pre- and post Red Bull ® consumption . There was a significant increase in diastolic blood pressure of the male volunteers immediately after submersion of the h and in the 5 ° C water for the CPT . Under the influence of Red Bull ® , the increase in diastolic pressure for the male participants during the CPT was negated . There were no significant changes in the blood pressure of the female participants for the CPT with or without Red Bull ® . Finally , the CPT was used to evaluate pain threshold and pain tolerance before and after Red Bull ® consumption . Red Bull ® consumption was associated with a significant increase in pain tolerance in all participants . These findings suggest that Red Bull ® consumption ameliorates changes in blood pressure during stressful experiences and increases the participants ’ pain tolerance Abstract . Objective : The authors assessed short-term effectiveness of a Web-based alcohol education program on entering freshmen . Participants : 3,216 incoming first-year students were r and omized to a control or intervention group . Methods : Controls completed a survey and knowledge test the summer before college ; 4 to 6 weeks after arrival on campus , they completed a follow-up survey of behaviors and harms followed by an invitation to complete the online course . Intervention students completed the precourse survey and test , the online course , and final exam prior to coming to campus . This was followed by a survey 4 to 6 weeks after arrival on campus . Results : Although the intervention group showed significantly higher alcohol-related postcourse knowledge compared to the control group , protective behavior , risk-related behavior , high-risk drinking , and alcohol-related harm did not favor the intervention group , with the sole exception of playing drinking games . Conclusions : Alcohol knowledge alone was insufficient to mitigate alcohol-related high-risk behaviors in this student population OBJECTIVE Much research has documented extensive misperceptions of drinking norms and their negative effects in U.S. student population s. This study provides extensive research evidence documenting this phenomenon in Canadian higher education . METHODS Data were collected in a 2003 - 2004 survey of students ( N=5280 ) attending 11 institutions across Canada .  Surveys were administered either to a r and om sample of students through the mail or to students attending a diverse selection of classes . RESULTS Regardless of the actual drinking norm on each campus , students most commonly overestimated the alcohol consumption norms ( both quantity and frequency levels ) in every instance . Students ' perception of their campus drinking norm was the strongest predictor of the amount of alcohol personally consumed in comparison with the influence of all demographic variables . Perception of the norm was also a much stronger predictor of personal use than the actual campus norm for consumption on each campus or the actual norm for compliance with campus regulations . Among students who personally abstain or consume lightly , misperceptions of the student drinking norms contribute to alienation from campus life . CONCLUSION The data presented here on Canadian students extends the evidence that peer drinking norms are grossly misperceived and that these misperceptions produce a highly detrimental " reign of error " in the lives of college students . The data suggest that a broad range of students -- abstainers and light drinkers as well as moderate and heavy drinkers -- may benefit from implementing intervention strategies that can correct or reduce these misperceptions The current study was design ed to evaluate the efficacy of a mailed feedback and tips intervention as a universal prevention strategy for college drinking . Participants ( N = 1,488 ) were r and omly assigned to feedback or assessment -only control conditions . Results indicated that the mailed feedback intervention had a preventive effect on drinking rates overall , with participants in the feedback condition consuming less alcohol at follow-up in comparison with controls . In addition , abstainers in the feedback condition were twice as likely to remain abstinent from alcohol at follow-up in comparison with control participants ( odds ratio = 2.02 ) , and feedback participants were significantly more likely to refrain from heavy episodic drinking ( odds ratio = 1.43 ) . Neither gender nor severity of baseline drinking moderated the efficacy of the intervention in these analyses , but more conservative analyses utilizing last-observation carryforward suggested women and abstainers benefited more from this prevention approach . Protective behaviors mediated intervention efficacy , with participants who received the intervention being more likely to use strategies such as setting limits and alternating alcohol with nonalcoholic beverages . Implication s of these findings for universal prevention of  college  drinking are discussed College students , particularly those who drink heavily , tend to overestimate the prevalence of heavy drinking among their peers . A self-regulation model predicts that feedback of undesirable deviation from normative st and ards would result in correction of behavior toward perceived norms . From a screening of 568 college students , sixty-four heavy drinkers were identified and offered the opportunity to participate in a survey study of drinking . Of these , twenty-six accepted and returned question naires with detailed information regarding their drinking practice s. These were r and omized to receive or not receive , by return mail , personal feedback of their drinking relative to population norms . At an independent follow-up interview , feedback subjects showed greater reduction in weekly consumption and typical intoxication levels , relative to controls . This simple feedback intervention , requiring no personal contact , may be a cost-effective strategy for reducing risky drinking OBJECTIVE Social influences to drink are important predictors of adolescent drinking . This study explored a social influence model of drinking among inner-city adolescents . We examined the role of family drinking and perceived drinking norms in predicting 1-year follow-up perceived social benefits of drinking and the relationship of perceived social benefits of drinking with 2-year follow-up adolescent drinking . METHOD Participants in the present study were from the control schools of a r and omized trial investigating the etiology and prevention of adolescent alcohol use . During a class period at baseline in seventh grade , participants completed a question naire that measured self-reported alcohol use and potential predictors . The panel sample consisted of 1,318 students from baseline ( seventh grade ) , 1-year follow-up ( eighth grade ) , and 2-year follow-up ( ninth grade ) . RESULTS Structural equation modeling found that both family drinking and perceived drinking norms affected the perceived benefits of drinking . In turn , the perceived benefits of drinking predicted subsequent drinking , controlling for earlier drinking . CONCLUSIONS These results illuminate the importance of the perceived benefits of drinking , as well as social influences to drink , in adolescent drinking . Therefore , they should be incorporated into alcohol prevention programs Background Excessive alcohol consumption amongst university students has received increasing attention . A social norms approach to reducing drinking behaviours has met with some success in the USA . Such an approach is based on the assumption that student 's perceptions of the norms of their peers are highly influential , but that these perceptions are often incorrect . Social norms interventions therefore aim to correct these inaccurate perceptions , and in turn , to change behaviours . However , UK studies are scarce and it is increasingly recognised that social norm interventions need to be supported by socio ecological approaches that address the wider determinants of behaviour . Objectives To describe the research design for an exploratory trial examining the acceptability , hypothesised process of change and implementation of a social norm marketing campaign design ed to correct misperceptions of normative alcohol use and reduce levels of misuse , implemented alongside a university wide alcohol harm reduction toolkit . It also assesses the feasibility of a potential large scale effectiveness trial by providing key trial design parameters including r and omisation , recruitment and retention , contamination , data collection methods , outcome measures and intracluster correlations . Methods / design The study adopts an exploratory cluster r and omised controlled trial design with halls of residence as the unit of allocation , and a nested mixed methods process evaluation . Four Welsh ( UK ) universities participated in the study , with residence hall managers consenting to implementation of the trial in 50 university owned campus based halls of residence . Consenting halls were r and omised to either a phased multi channel social norm marketing campaign addressing normative discrepancies ( n = 25 intervention ) or normal practice ( n = 25 control ) . The primary outcome is alcohol consumption ( units per week ) measured using the Daily Drinking Question naire . Secondary outcomes assess frequency of alcohol consumption , higher risk drinking , alcohol related problems and change in perceptions of alcohol-related descriptive and injunctive norms . Data will be collected for all 50 halls at 4 months follow up through a cross-sectional on line and postal survey of approximately 4000 first year students . The process evaluation will explore the acceptability and implementation of the social norms intervention and toolkit and hypothesised process of change including awareness , receptivity and normative changes . Discussion Exploratory trials such as this are essential to inform future definitive trials by providing crucial method ological parameters and guidance on design ing and implementing optimum interventions .Trial registration numberIS RCT N : IS RCT Aims This exploratory trial examines the feasibility of implementing a social norms marketing campaign to reduce student drinking in universities in Wales , and evaluating it using cluster r and omised trial methodology . Methods Fifty residence halls in 4 universities in Wales were r and omly assigned to intervention or control arms . Web and paper surveys were distributed to students within these halls ( n = 3800 ) , assessing exposure/contamination , recall of and evaluative responses to intervention messages , perceived drinking norms and personal drinking behaviour . Measures included the Drinking Norms Rating Form , the Daily Drinking Question naire and AUDIT-C. Results A response rate of 15 % ( n = 554 ) was achieved , varying substantially between sites .  Intervention posters  were seen by 80 % and 43 % of students in intervention and control halls respectively , with most remaining material s seen by a minority in both groups . Intervention messages were rated as credible and relevant by little more than half of students , though fewer felt they would influence their behaviour , with lighter drinkers more likely to perceive messages as credible . No differences in perceived norms were observed between intervention and control groups . Students reporting having seen intervention material s reported lower descriptive and injunctive norms than those who did not . Conclusions Attention is needed to enhancing exposure , credibility and perceived relevance of intervention messages , particularly among heavier drinkers , before definitive evaluation can be recommended . A definitive evaluation would need to consider how it would achieve sufficient response rates , whilst hall-level cluster r and omisation appears subject to a significant degree of contamination . Trial registration IS RCT N : IS RCT Research documents increased and problematic alcohol use during study abroad experiences for college students yet no research documents effective preventive programs with these students . The present r and omized controlled trial was design ed to prevent increased and problematic alcohol use abroad by correcting misperceptions of peer drinking norms abroad and by promoting positive and healthy adjustment into the host culture ( i.e. , sojourner adjustment ) through brief online personalized feedback interventions . A sample of 343 study abroad college students was r and omly assigned to 1 of 4 conditions including a personalized normative feedback intervention ( PNF ) , a sojourner adjustment feedback intervention ( SAF ) , a combined PNF + SAF intervention , and an assessment -only control condition . Generalized estimated equation analyses accounting for baseline drinking and consequences revealed an intervention effect for PNF that was mitigated by baseline drinking level , such that PNF was best for those with lighter baseline drinking , but heavier baseline drinkers receiving PNF alone or PNF + SAF drank comparatively similar or more heavily abroad to those in the control condition . However , PNF + SAF condition participants with greater baseline levels of consequences reported comparatively less consequences abroad than their control participants . Thus , PNF alone may be helpful for lighter drinkers at predeparture and the addition of SAF to PNF may help prevent consequences abroad for those reporting more consequences prior to departure abroad . This research represents an important first step in design ing and implementing efficacious interventions with at-risk study abroad college students , for which no current empirically based programs exist Background Epidemiologic data indicate most adolescents and adults experience multiple , simultaneous risk behaviors . Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of a brief image-based multiple-behavior intervention ( MBI ) for college students . Methods A total of 303 college students were r and omly assigned to : ( 1 ) a brief MBI or ( 2 ) a st and ard care control , with a 3-month postintervention follow-up . Results Omnibus treatment by time multivariate analysis of variance interactions were significant for three of six behavior groupings , with improvements for college students receiving the brief MBI on alcohol consumption behaviors , F(6 , 261 ) = 2.73 , p = 0.01 , marijuana-use behaviors , F(4 , 278 ) = 3.18 , p = 0.01 , and health-related quality of life , F(5 , 277 ) = 2.80 , p = 0.02 , but not cigarette use , exercise , and nutrition behaviors . Participants receiving the brief MBI also got more sleep , F(1 , 281 ) = 9.49 , p = 0.00 , than those in the st and ard care control . Conclusions A brief image-based multiple-behavior intervention may be useful in influencing a number of critical health habits and health-related quality -of-life indicators of college students Objective : Alcohol consumption has been a growing concern at U.S. colleges , particularly among first-year students , who are at increased risk for problems . This study tested the efficacy of the “ electronic Check-Up to Go ” ( e-CHUG ) , a commercially-available internet program , at reducing drinking among a group of at-risk college freshman . Method : The design was a r and omized controlled trial : 106 freshmen students who reported heavy episodic drinking were r and omly assigned to receive feedback or to assessment only . Assessment measures were completed at baseline , 8 weeks , and 16 weeks . Results : At 8 weeks , the feedback group showed a significant decrease in drinks per week and peak BAC over control . By 16 weeks , the control group also declined to a point where there were no differences between groups . Changes in normative drinking estimates mediated the effect of the intervention . An additional 245 abstainers and light drinkers who were also r and omized to condition did not show any intervention effect . Conclusions : This study provides preliminary support for the efficacy of this intervention at reducing short-term drinking among at-risk students Background Current insights indicate that Web-based delivery may enhance the implementation of brief alcohol interventions . Previous research showed that electronically delivered brief alcohol interventions decreased alcohol use in college students and adult problem drinkers . To date , no study has investigated the effectiveness of Web-based brief alcohol interventions in reducing alcohol use in younger population s. Objective The present study tested 2 main hypotheses , that is , whether an online multicomponent brief alcohol intervention was effective in reducing alcohol use among 15- to 20-year-old binge drinkers and whether inclusion of normative feedback would increase the effectiveness of this intervention . In additional analyses , we examined possible moderation effects of participant ’s sex , which we had not a priori hypothesized . Method A total of 575 online panel members ( aged 15 to 20 years ) who were screened as binge drinkers were r and omly assigned to ( 1 ) a Web-based brief alcohol intervention without normative feedback , ( 2 ) a Web-based brief alcohol intervention with normative feedback , or ( 3 ) a control group ( no intervention ) .  Alcohol use and moderate drinking were assessed at baseline , 1 month , and 3 months after the intervention . Separate analyses were conducted for participants in the original sample ( n = 575 ) and those who completed both posttests ( n = 278 ) . Missing values in the original sample were imputed by using the multiple imputation procedure of PASW Statistics 18 . Results Main effects of the intervention were found only in the multiple imputed data set for the original sample suggesting that the intervention without normative feedback reduced weekly drinking in the total group both 1 and 3 months after the intervention ( n = 575 , at the 1-month follow-up , beta = -.24 , P = .05 ; at the 3-month follow-up , beta = -.25 , P = .04 ) . Furthermore , the intervention with normative feedback reduced weekly drinking only at 1 month after the intervention ( n=575 , beta = -.24 , P = .008 ) . There was also a marginally significant trend of the intervention without normative feedback on responsible drinking at the 3-month follow-up ( n = 575 , beta = .40 , P = .07 ) implying a small increase in moderate drinking at the 3-month follow-up . Additional analyses on both data sets testing our post hoc hypothesis about a possible differential intervention effect for males and females revealed that this was the case for the impact of the intervention without normative feedback on weekly drinking and moderate drinking at the 1-month follow-up ( weekly drinking for n = 278 , beta = -.80 , P = .01 , and for n = 575 , beta = -.69 , P = .009 ; moderate drinking for n = 278 , odds ratio [ OR ] = 3.76 , confidence interval [ CI ] 1.05 - 13.49 , P = .04 , and for n = 575 , OR = 3.00 , CI = 0.89 - 10.12 , P = .08 ) and at the 3-month follow-up ( weekly drinking for n = 278 , beta = -.58 , P = .05 , and for n = 575 , beta = -.75 , P = .004 ; moderate drinking for n = 278 , OR = 4.34 , CI = 1.18 - 15.95 , P = .04 , and for n = 575 , OR = 3.65 , CI = 1.44 - 9.25 , P = .006 ) . Furthermore , both data sets showed an interaction effect between the intervention with normative feedback and participant ’s sex on weekly alcohol use at the 1-month follow-up ( for n = 278 , beta = -.74 , P = .02 , and for n = 575 , beta = -.64 , P = .01 ) and for moderate drinking at the 3-month follow-up ( for n = 278 , OR = 3.10 , CI = 0.81 - 11.85 , P = .07 , and for n = 575 , OR = 3.00 , CI = 1.23 - 7.27 , P = .01 ) . Post hoc probing indicated that males who received the intervention showed less weekly drinking and were more likely to drink moderately at 1 month and at 3 months following the intervention . For females , the interventions yielded no effects : the intervention without normative feedback even showed a small unfavorable effect at the 1-month follow-up . Conclusion The present study demonstrated that exposure to a Web-based brief alcohol intervention generated a decrease in weekly drinking among 15- to 20-year-old binge drinkers but did not encourage moderate drinking in the total sample . Additional analyses revealed that intervention effects were most prominent in males result ing in less weekly alcohol use and higher levels of moderate drinking among 15- to 20-year-old males over a period of 1 to 3 months . Trial Registration IS RCT N50512934 ; http://www.controlled-trials.com/IS RCT N50512934/ ( Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/5usICa3Tx Background University students in Sweden routinely receive proactive mail-based alcohol Internet interventions sent from student health services . This intervention provides personalized normative feedback on alcohol consumption with suggestions on how to decrease drinking . Earlier feasibility trials by our group and others have examined effectiveness in simple parallel-groups design s. Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of electronic screening and brief intervention , using a r and omized controlled trial design that takes account of baseline assessment reactivity ( and other possible effects of the research process ) due to the similarity between the intervention and assessment content . The design of the study allowed for exploration of the magnitude of the assessment effects per se . Methods This trial used a dismantling design and r and omly assigned 5227 students to 3 groups : ( 1 ) routine practice assessment and feedback , ( 2 ) assessment -only without feedback , and ( 3 ) neither assessment nor feedback . At baseline all participants were blinded to study participation , with no contact being made with group 3 . We approached students 2 months later to participate in a cross-sectional alcohol survey . All interventions were fully automated and did not have any human involvement . All data used in the analysis were based on self- assessment using question naires . The participants were unaware that they were participating in a trial and thus were also blinded to which group they were r and omly assigned . Results Overall , 44.69 % ( n = 2336 ) of those targeted for study completed follow-up . Attrition was similar in groups 1 ( 697/1742 , 40.01 % ) and 2 ( 737/1742 , 42.31 % retained ) and lower in group 3 ( 902/1743 , 51.75 % retained ) . Intention-to-treat analyses among all participants regardless of their baseline drinking status revealed no differences between groups in all alcohol parameters at the 2-month follow-up . Per- protocol analyses of groups 1 and 2 among those who accepted the email intervention ( 36.2 % of the students who were offered the intervention in group 1 and 37.3 % of the students in group2 ) and who were risky drinkers at baseline ( 60.7 % follow-up rate in group 1 and 63.5 % in group 2 ) suggested possible small beneficial effects on weekly consumption attributable to feedback . Conclusions This approach to outcome evaluation is highly conservative , and small benefits may follow the actual uptake of feedback intervention in students who are risky drinkers , the precise target group . Trial Registration International St and ard R and omized Controlled Trial Number ( IS RCT N ) : 24735383 ; http://www.controlled-trials.com/IS RCT N24735383 ( Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6Awq7gjXG AIMS To test the feasibility of online alcohol screening and brief intervention ( BI ) by comparing ( i ) two approaches to inviting all students to be screened , and ( ii ) a minimal versus a more extensive BI . METHODS Freshmen students at one university were r and omized to receive one of two types of email invitations to an online anonymous : ( i ) general health assessment , or ( ii ) alcohol-specific assessment . All were linked to the same alcohol screening survey . Those with unhealthy alcohol use ( AUDIT > or=8 ) were r and omly assigned to minimal or more extensive online alcohol BI . RESULTS In both invitation groups ( 4008 students ) , 55 % of students completed the online screening .  Overall , 37 % of men and 26 % of women had unhealthy alcohol use .  Compared to minimal BI , more extensive BI was associated with intention to seek help among men and with a greater increase in readiness to change among women . One month after BI , 75 % of students completed another assessment , 33 % of women and 15 % of men with unhealthy alcohol use at baseline no longer had unhealthy alcohol use . There were no significant differences on drinking measures by BI r and omization group . CONCLUSIONS Over half of an entire freshman class of college students were reached by email and completed alcohol screening and brief intervention . Even an alcohol-specific invitation did not deter students . Although brief interventions that differed had some gender specific effects on readiness to change and intention , in general , unhealthy alcohol use decreased after brief intervention . Web screening and brief intervention show promise for addressing unhealthy alcohol use by college students OBJECTIVE Although research utilizing the Internet to intervene with college student drinkers is growing , this study is the first to investigate the use of a theoretically-based and empirically supported personalized feedback form delivered via a single e-mail to college students . METHOD Students ( n=191 ) completed measures of their alcohol use , related consequences , and peer perceptions at baseline and 6weeks after the intervention . Students were r and omly assigned to receive either e-mailed personalized feedback or e-mailed generic feedback . RESULTS Students who received e-mailed personalized feedback reported consuming significantly fewer drinks in a given week , as well as a fewer number of days being drunk in the previous 30days . They also exhibited a significant reduction in the number of days they perceived their peers to have drunk alcohol and in the amount of alcohol they perceived their peers to consume per drinking occasion . CONCLUSION e-Mailed personalized feedback appears to help students become more aware of normative drinking behavior and reduce the quantity of alcohol they consume . Furthermore , e-mailed personalized feedback may be a cost-effective manner in which to intervene with college student drinkers UNLABELLED One alternative explanation for the observed impact of normative feedback interventions is that participants who receive normative information will just report reductions in their drinking rather than actually reducing the amount they drink . The current study tested the immediate impact of receiving normative information on self-reports of drinking . METHODS A r and om half of participants ( 39 out of 80 ) were presented with  normative information about college drinking  and then asked information about their drinking . Participants in the control condition were not presented with the normative information before answering the questions about their drinking . RESULTS Risky drinking participants presented with the normative information reported significantly less drinking as compared to those in the control condition ( p<.05 ) Motivational interviewing ( MI ) is a brief intervention that has been shown to reduce heavy drinking among college students . Because all college studies of MI to date have included a personalized feedback report , it remains unclear which of the components is necessary to produce behavior change . This study evaluated the separate and collective effects of MI and feedback among 122 “ binge ” drinking college students . Participants were r and omized to : 1 ) MI with feedback , 2 ) MI without feedback , 3 ) Mailed feedback only , 4 ) MI with mailed feedback , or 5 ) Assessment only control . At an eight-week follow-up , all groups reduced their consumption , peak BAC , consequences , and dependence symptoms . For females , there were reductions in consequences and dependence symptoms in groups that received feedback , as compared to groups that did not receive feedback . For females , there was an effect of the feedback on consequences and dependence symptoms , but was no overall effect of MI on any outcome measure Abstract The effects of a primary prevention social norm intervention on  binge drinking among 1st-year residential college students were examined . Six hundred thirty-four students attending a medium-sized public university in the South were r and omly assigned to receive a two-phase social norm intervention or the st and ard campus psychoeducational prevention program . At posttest , no differences were found between intervention and control group students on any of the alcohol use and alcohol-use risk factor measures . Significant subgroup differences were found by stage of initiating binge drinking behaviors , for frequency of alcohol use , F(3 , 507 ) = 3.69 , p = .01 ; quantity of alcohol use , F(3 , 507 ) = 2.51 , p = .05 ; and social norms , F(3 , 505 ) = 2.53 , p = .05 . These findings suggest the need for tailoring social norm binge drinking interventions to students ' stage of initiating heavy drinking and carefully monitoring for potential negative , as well as positive , effects of norm-based prevention messages ABSTRACT A 14-site r and omized trial tested the effectiveness of social norms marketing ( SNM ) campaigns , which present accurate student survey data in order to correct misperceptions of subjective drinking norms and thereby drive down alcohol use .  Cross-sectional student surveys were conducted by mail at baseline and at posttest 3 years later . Hierarchical linear modeling was applied to examine multiple drinking outcomes , taking into account the nonindependence of students grouped in the same college . Controlling for other predictors , having a SNM campaign was not significantly associated with lower perceptions of student drinking levels or lower self-reported alcohol consumption . This study failed to replicate a previous multisite r and omized trial of SNM campaigns , which showed that students attending institutions with a SNM campaign had a lower relative risk of alcohol consumption than students attending control group institutions ( W. DeJong et al. J Stud Alcohol . 2006;67:868–879 ) . Additional research is needed to explore whether SNM campaigns are less effective in campus communities with relatively high alcohol retail outlet density to test early  nutritional interventions  and prospect i ve observational cohorts . RCTs are generally accepted as method ologically the best approach for informing health policy . They can equalise unknown as well as known confounding factors and so can demonstrate causation ; they permit estimation of effect size and so can be used to assess likely In this study , the authors evaluated the efficacy of a brief motivational intervention ( BMI ) and a computerized program for reducing drinking and related problems among college students sanctioned for alcohol violations . Referred students ( N = 198 , 46 % women ) , stratified by gender , were r and omly assigned to a BMI or to the Alcohol 101 Plus computer program . Data obtained at baseline , 1 , 6 , and 12 months were used to evaluate intervention efficacy . Planned analyses revealed 3 primary findings . First , women who received the BMI  reduced drinking more than did women who received the computer intervention ; in contrast , men 's drinking reductions did not differ by condition . Second , readiness to change and hazardous drinking status predicted drinking reductions at 1 month postintervention , regardless of intervention . Third , by 1 year , drinking returned to presanction ( baseline ) levels , with no differences in recidivism between groups . Exploratory analyses revealed an overall mean reduction in drinking immediately after the sanction event and before taking part in an intervention . Furthermore , after the self-initiated reductions prompted by the sanction were accounted for , participation in the BMI but not the computer intervention was found to produce additional reduction in drinking and related consequences AIM To investigate the effects of demographic factors and drinking location on context ual drinking in a comparison of US and Canadian adults . DESIGN Multi-level techniques were used to model the two-level hierarchical structure of drinking context s ( level 1 ) nested within individuals ( level 2 ) . PARTICIPANTS Two r and om sample s of current drinkers aged 18 years or older were drawn from Canada 's Alcohol and Other Drugs Survey ( CADS , 1994 ) and the 1995 National Alcohol Survey ( NAS 9 ) . The US sample included 2304 respondents ( level 2 ) who reported a total of 5956 drinking context s ( level 1 ) ; in Canada , 5394 respondents reported 13 235 drinking context s. MEASUREMENTS Participants reported usual alcohol intake in up to four drinking locations . Demographic data included age , gender , education level , income and marital status . FINDINGS Significant variation in usual alcohol intake was observed between drinking locations in both the US and Canada . The full multi-level models explained 25 % of the variance at the context ual level and 25 % and 22 % at the individual level in the US and Canada . Context ual drinking was determined by a complex relationship between demographic characteristics and drinking locations . Some interactions between locations and demographic variables were observed for both the US and Canada , whereas others were observed only in the US sample . CONCLUSIONS There is a need , from a population health perspective , for a multi-level approach in epidemiology and prevention that considers drinking setting as a relevant level for analysis and intervention OBJECTIVE The current study examined the efficacy of mailed personalized normative feedback ( PNF ) as a brief alcohol intervention for at-risk college drinkers , and investigated discrepancy as a possible mediator of the intervention effect . METHOD Participants consisted of 100 at-risk college drinkers who completed an alcohol-use assessment at baseline , 6-week posttest and 6-month follow-up . Measures included number of drinks consumed per heaviest drinking week , frequency of heavy-drinking episodes , peak blood alcohol concentration and number of alcohol-related problems , all for the last month . Participants were r and omly assigned to either a mailed brief intervention ( MBI ; n = 49 ) or attention-control ( C ; n = 51 ) group . The MBI group received mailed PNF that was based on baseline responses to the drinking measures ; the C group received a psychoeducational brochure about alcohol . RESULTS Mixed-model , repeated measures ANOVAs were used to examine the effects of time , group and gender on discrepancy and the drinking variables . Following the intervention , the MBI group reported significantly higher perceived discrepancy between self and others ' drinking than the C group . The MBI group reported consuming significantly fewer drinks per heaviest drinking week and engaging in heavy episodic drinking less frequently than the C group at the 6-week posttest ; however , these differences were no longer evident at the 6-month follow-up . Hierarchical regression analyses did not provide evidence for the hypothesized mediating effect of discrepancy . CONCLUSIONS Mailed PNF may be a cost- and time-efficient means of developing discrepancy and temporarily reducing heavy alcohol consumption among at-risk college drinkers OBJECTIVE Research has found perceived descriptive norms to be one of the strongest predictors of college student drinking , and several intervention approaches have incorporated normative feedback to correct misperceptions of peer drinking behavior . Little research has focused on the role of the reference group in normative perceptions . The current study sought to examine whether normative perceptions vary based on specificity of the reference group and whether perceived norms for more specific reference-group norms are related to individual drinking behavior . METHOD Participants were first-year undergraduates ( n = 1,276 , 58 % female ) r and omly selected from a university list of incoming students . Participants reported personal drinking behavior and perceived descriptive norms for eight reference groups , including typical student ; same gender , ethnicity , or residence ; and combinations of those reference groups ( e.g. , same gender and residence ) . RESULTS Findings indicated that participants distinguished among different reference groups in estimating descriptive drinking norms . Moreover , results indicated misperceptions in drinking norms were evident at all levels of specificity of the reference group . Additionally , findings showed perceived norms for more specific groups were uniquely related to participants ' own drinking . CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that providing normative feedback targeting at least one level of specificity to the participant ( i.e. , beyond what the " typical " student does ) may be an important tool in normative feedback interventions OBJECTIVE Alcohol misuse amongst University students is a serious concern , and research has started to investigate the feasibility of using e-health interventions . This study aim ed to establish the effectiveness of an electronic web-based personalised feedback intervention through the use of a r and omised control trial ( RCT ) . METHODS 506 participants were stratified by gender , age group , year of study , self-reported weekly consumption of alcohol and r and omly assigned to either a control or intervention condition . Intervention participants received electronic personalised feedback and social norms information on their drinking behaviour which they could access by logging onto the website at any time during the 12-week period . CAGE score , average number of alcoholic drinks consumed per drinking occasion , and alcohol consumption over the last week were collected from participants at pre- and post-survey . RESULTS A significant difference in pre- to post-survey mean difference of alcohol consumed per occasion was found , with those in the intervention condition displaying a larger mean decrease when compared to controls . No intervention effect was found for units of alcohol consumed per week or for CAGE scores . Sixty-three percent of intervention participants agreed that the feedback provided was useful . Those intervention participants who were above the CAGE cut off were more likely to report that the website would make them think more about the amount they drank . CONCLUSIONS Delivering an electronic personalised feedback intervention to students via the World Wide Web is a feasible and potentially effective method of reducing student alcohol intake . Further research is needed to replicate this outcome , evaluate maintenance of any changes , and investigate the process of interaction with web-based interventions Objective : The authors examined whether alcohol-related negative consequences decreased among students exposed to an intervention .  Participants : Beginning in 1999 , approximately 2,500 r and omly selected undergraduates from a 4-year US university annually participated in a Web-based survey over 6 years . Methods : The educational intervention used social norms initiatives . Main outcome measures included recall of intervention , estimated blood alcohol content ( eBAC ) when drinking , and 10 negative consequences from alcohol within the past year . Results : First-year students recalling exposure had lower odds of negative consequences ( odds ratio [ OR ] = 0.78 , 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] = 0.64 - 0.95 ) and of having an eBAC higher than .08 ( OR = 0.76 , 95 % CI = 0.62 - 0.92 ) . Over the 6 study years , the odds among all participants of experiencing ( a ) none of 10 alcohol consequences nearly doubled ( OR = 2.13 , 95 % CI = 1.82 - 2.49 ) and ( b ) multiple consequences decreased by more than half ( OR = 0.43 , 95 % CI = 0.36 - 0.50 ) . Conclusions : These findings have important implication s for US colleges and universities engaged in the reduction of harm associated with alcohol misuse OBJECTIVE Little work has evaluated the relationship between injunctive norms and marijuana use . This study sought to establish whether misperceptions exist between perceived injunctive norms of typical college students and the actual approval level of the students . We also examined respondents ' perceptions of which groups ( typical student , close friends , and parents ) were the most and least approving of marijuana . These variables were then applied to an explanatory model to assess their relationships with marijuana use . METHOD Participants were 3,753 students ( 61 % female ) r and omly recruited from two West Coast campuses . Participants were asked about their own marijuana use and their own approval toward marijuana . Injunctive norms  were assessed by asking respondents about their perceptions of how much other reference groups approved of marijuana . RESULTS Students overestimated the extent to which the typical student approves of marijuana use . A path model showed that perceived approval of both close friends and parents predicted actual/self-approval , which in turn was most predictive of personal marijuana use . Perceptions of typical-student and close friends ' approval also directly predicted one 's own use , whereas the path from parental approval to marijuana use was fully mediated by one 's own approval . CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that perceived injunctive norms may function differently with respect to marijuana use than they do with respect to alcohol use and raise questions about how to incorporate social-normative information into marijuana interventions This research evaluated the efficacy of a brief , mailed personalized feedback intervention design ed to alleviate depressed mood and antecedents ( ineffective coping and hopelessness ) . College students ( N = 177 ) were r and omly assigned to intervention or control group following a baseline assessment . A week after completing the baseline assessment , participants in the intervention condition were mailed feedback and information detailing their mood , coping strategies , as well as suggestions for enhancing mood . Results indicated that feedback was effective in reducing depressive symptoms , hopelessness , and among men , increasing willingness to use coping strategies at the 1-month follow-up . Hopelessness mediated reductions in depressive symptoms . Results support the use of personalized feedback as a low-cost , initial intervention for college students suffering from symptoms of depression Background Alcohol consumption in the student population continues to be cause for concern . Building on the established evidence base for traditional brief interventions , interventions using the Internet as a mode of delivery are being developed . Published evidence of replication of initial findings and ongoing development and modification of Web-based personalized feedback interventions for student alcohol use is relatively rare . The current paper reports on the replication of the initial Unitcheck feasibility trial . Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of Unitcheck  , a Web-based intervention that provides instant personalized feedback on alcohol consumption . It was hypothesized that use of Unitcheck would be associated with a reduction in alcohol consumption . Methods A r and omized control trial with two arms ( control= assessment only ; intervention = fully automated personalized feedback delivered using a Web-based intervention ) . The intervention was available week 1 through to week 15 . Students at a UK university who were completing a university-wide annual student union electronic survey were invited to participate in the current study . Participants ( n=1618 ) were stratified by sex , age group , year of study , self-reported alcohol consumption , then r and omly assigned to one of the two arms , and invited to participate in the current trial . Participants were not blind to allocation . In total , n=1478 ( n=723 intervention , n=755 control ) participants accepted the invitation . Of these , 70 % were female , the age ranged from 17 - 50 years old , and 88 % were white/white British . Data were collected electronically via two websites : one for each treatment arm . Participants completed assessment s at weeks 1 , 16 , and 34 . Assessment included CAGE , a 7-day retrospective drinking diary , and drinks consumed per drinking occasion . Results The regression model predicted a monitoring effect , with participants who completed assessment s reducing alcohol consumption over the final week . Further reductions were predicted for those allocated to receive the intervention , and additional reductions were predicted as the number of visits to the intervention website increased . Conclusions Unitcheck can reduce the amount of alcohol consumed , and the reduction can be sustained in the medium term ( ie , 19 weeks after intervention was withdrawn ) . The findings suggest self-monitoring is an active ingredient to Web-based personalized feedback In this study , the authors developed and evaluated a single-session experiential expectancy challenge ( EC ) intervention , seeking to reduce alcohol use by changing key positive expectancies among moderate to heavy drinking male and female college students . Participants ( N=217 ) were r and omly assigned to attend a 90- to 120-min EC session , CD-ROM alcohol education , or assessment only . Participants were assessed at pretest , posttest , and 1-month follow-up . Exposure to the EC intervention led to significant decreases in alcohol expectancies and subsequent alcohol consumption in both genders at follow-up . No significant changes were evident in either control condition . This study is the first to effectively decrease expectancies and drinking in college students  with a single-session EC intervention . Further , although several studies have demonstrated the utility of the intervention with men , it is the first to do so with women . This study represents a critical step in the process of translating an innovative , theory-based intervention into a more practical format that makes it more accessible to those who seek effective drinking-reduction strategies for college campuses This study evaluated the efficacy of two brief personalized normative feedback interventions aim ed at reducing  heavy drinking among m and ated college students ( N = 135 ) . Students were r and omly assigned to one of two conditions : Web-based assessment with self-guided personalized normative feedback ( SWF ) or Web-based assessment with counselor-guided personalized normative feedback ( CWF ) . Results indicated that students in the CWF condition reported significantly greater reductions in weekly drinking quantity and binge drinking frequency than those in the SWF group at follow-up ( M = 8 months ) . Students in the CWF group also reported significantly greater reductions in estimates of peer drinking from baseline to the follow-up assessment than students in the SWF group . In addition , changes in estimates of peer drinking partially mediated the effect of the intervention on changes in drinking . Results suggest that counselor-guided feedback may be more effective in reducing drinking  among m and ated students relative to self-guided feedback in the long term Background Helping the large number of problem drinkers who will never seek treatment is a challenging issue . Public health initiatives employing educational material s or mass media campaigns have met with mixed success . However , clinical research has developed effective brief interventions to help problem drinkers . This project will employ an intervention that has been vali date d in clinical setting s and then modified into an ultra-brief format suitable for use as a public health intervention . The major objective of this study is to conduct a r and omized controlled trial to establish the effectiveness of an ultra-brief , personalized feedback intervention for problem drinkers . Methods / design Problem drinkers recruited on a baseline population telephone survey conducted in a major metropolitan city in Canada will be r and omized to one of three conditions – a personalized feedback pamphlet condition , a control pamphlet condition , or a no intervention control condition . In the week after the baseline survey , households in the two pamphlet conditions will be sent their respective pamphlets .  Changes in drinking will be assessed post intervention at three-month and six-month follow-ups . Drinking outcomes will be compared between experimental conditions using Structural Equation Modeling . The primary hypothesis is that problem drinkers from households who receive the personalized feedback pamphlet intervention will display significantly improved drinking outcomes at three and six-month follow-ups as compared to problem drinkers from households in the no intervention control condition . Secondary hypotheses will test the impact of the intervention on help seeking , and explore the mediating or moderating role of perceived drinking norms , perceived alcohol risks and the problem drinker 's social reasons for drinking . Discussion This trial will provide information on the effectiveness of a pamphlet-based personalized feedback intervention for problem drinkers in a community setting .Trial registration Clinical Trials.gov registration # NCT00688584 BACKGROUND The current study tested age of onset as a moderator of intervention efficacy on drinking and consequence outcomes among a high-risk population of college students ( i.e. , former high school athletes ) . METHODS Students were r and omized to one of four conditions : assessment only control , combined parent-based intervention ( PBI ) and brief motivational intervention ( BMI ) , PBI alone , and BMI alone .  Participants ( n = 1,275 ) completed web-administered measures at baseline ( summer before starting college ) and 10-month follow-up . RESULTS Overall , the combined intervention demonstrated the strongest and most consistent reductions across all outcomes , particularly with the youngest initiators . Participants who initiated drinking at the youngest ages had significantly lower peak drinking , typical weekly drinking , and reported consequences at follow-up when they received the combined intervention when compared to the control group . The BMI and PBI groups , when examined independently , demonstrated significant effects across outcomes but were inconsistent across the different age groups . CONCLUSION Results suggest the combination of a PBI and a peer-delivered BMI is an appropriate and efficacious way to reduce drinking and related consequences among individuals who initiated drinking earlier in adolescence and are at an increased risk of experiencing alcohol problems IMPORTANCE Unhealthy alcohol use is a leading contributor to the global burden of disease , particularly among young people . Systematic review s suggest efficacy of web-based alcohol screening and brief intervention and call for effectiveness trials in setting s where it could be sustainably delivered . OBJECTIVE To evaluate a national web-based alcohol screening and brief intervention program . DESIGN , SETTING , AND PARTICIPANTS A multisite , double-blind , parallel-group , individually r and omized trial was conducted at 7 New Zeal and universities . In April and May of 2010 , invitations containing hyperlinks to the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption ( AUDIT-C ) screening test were e-mailed to 14,991 students aged 17 to 24 years . INTERVENTIONS Participants who screened positive ( AUDIT-C score ≥4 ) were r and omized to undergo screening alone or to 10 minutes of assessment and feedback ( including comparisons with medical guidelines and peer norms ) on alcohol expenditure , peak blood alcohol concentration , alcohol dependence , and access to help and information . MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES A fully automated 5-month follow-up assessment was conducted that measured 6 primary outcomes : consumption per typical occasion , drinking frequency , volume of alcohol consumed , an academic problems score , and whether participants exceeded medical guidelines for acute harm ( binge drinking ) and chronic harm ( heavy drinking ) . A Bonferroni-corrected significance threshold of .0083 was used to account for the 6 comparisons and a sensitivity analysis was used to assess possible attrition bias . RESULTS Of 5135 students screened , 3422 scored 4 or greater and were r and omized , and 83 % were followed up . There was a significant effect on 1 of the 6 prespecified outcomes . Relative to control participants , those who received intervention consumed less alcohol per typical drinking occasion ( median 4 drinks [ interquartile range { IQR } , 2 - 8 ] vs 5 drinks [ IQR 2 - 8 ] ; rate ratio [ RR ] , 0.93 [ 99.17 % CI , 0.86 - 1.00 ] ; P = .005 ) but not less often ( RR , 0.95 [ 99.17 % CI , 0.88 - 1.03 ] ; P = .08 ) or less overall ( RR , 0.95 [ 99.17 % CI , 0.81 - 1.10 ] ; P = .33 ) . Academic problem scores were not lower ( RR , 0.91 [ 99.17 % CI , 0.76 - 1.08 ] ; P = .14 ) and effects on the risks of binge drinking ( odds ratio [ OR ] , 0.84 [ 99.17 % CI , 0.67 - 1.05 ] ; P = .04 ) and heavy drinking ( OR , 0.77 [ 99.17 % CI , 0.56 - 1.05 ] ; P = .03 ) were not significantly significant . In a sensitivity analysis accounting for attrition , the effect on alcohol per typical drinking occasion was no longer statistically significant . CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE A national web-based alcohol screening and brief intervention program produced no significant reductions in the frequency or overall volume of drinking or academic problems . There remains a possibility of a small reduction in the amount of alcohol consumed per typical drinking occasion . TRIAL REGISTRATION anzctr.org.au Identifier : ACTRN12610000279022 This study examined the effectiveness of a single-session group motivational enhancement alcohol intervention on adjudicated male college students . Over two sequential academic years , 230 students sanctioned by the university for alcohol-related infractions attended a 60- to 75-minute group intervention . The intervention consisted of a timeline followback , social norms education , decisional balance for behavioral change , blood alcohol content ( BAC ) information , expectancy challenge , and generation of behavioral goals . Participants were followed weekly for three months and showed reductions in drinking ( 29 % ) and alcohol-related consequences ( 32 % ) at three-month follow-up . The intervention was successful in reducing drinking for both first-year students and upperclassmen , with reductions appearing to be a function of the intervention and not the citation itself . Furthermore , a post hoc control condition revealed that those participants r and omly assigned to the intervention group condition reduced drinking ( 19 % ) and alcohol-related consequences ( 44 % ) more than participants in the control condition over one month . These results provide continued evidence of the effectiveness of group motivational enhancement interventions with adjudicated male college students Background Young people tend to over-estimate peer group drinking levels . Personalised normative feedback ( PNF ) aims to correct this misperception by providing information about personal drinking levels and patterns compared with norms in similar aged peer groups . PNF is intended to raise motivation for behaviour change and has been highlighted for alcohol misuse prevention by the British Government Behavioural Insight Team . The objective of the trial was to assess the effectiveness of PNF with college students for the prevention of alcohol misuse . Methodology Solomon three-group r and omised controlled trial . 1751 students , from 22 British Universities , allocated to a PNF group , a normal control group , or a delayed measurement control group to allow assessment of any measurement effects . PNF was provided by email . Participants completed online question naires at baseline , 6- and 12-months ( only 12-months for the delayed measurement controls ) . Drinking behaviour measures were ( i ) alcohol disorders ; ( ii ) frequency ; ( iii ) typical quantity , ( iv ) weekly consumption ; ( v ) alcohol-related problems ; ( vi ) perceived drinking norms ; and ( vii ) positive alcohol expectancies . Analyses focused on high-risk drinkers , as well as all students , because of research evidence for the prevention paradox in student drinkers . Principal Findings Follow-up rates were low , with only 50 % and 40 % responding at 6- and 12-months , respectively , though comparable to similar European studies . We found no evidence for any systematic attrition bias . Overall , statistical analyses with the high risk sub- sample , and for all students , showed no significant effects of the intervention , at either time-point , in a completed case analysis and a multiple imputation analysis . Conclusions We found no evidence for the effectiveness of PNF for the prevention of alcohol misuse and alcohol-related problems in a UK student population . Registration Controlled-Trials.com IS RCT Behavioral theories of choice predict that substance use is partly a function of the relative value of drugs in relation to other available reinforcers . This study evaluated this hypothesis in the context of predicting drinking outcomes following an alcohol abuse intervention .  Participants ( N = 54 , 69 % female , 31 % male ) were college student heavy drinkers who completed a single-session motivational intervention .  Students completed a baseline measure of substance-related and substance-free activity participation and enjoyment . Only women showed a significant reduction in drinking at the 6-month follow-up , and the ratio of substance-related to substance-free reinforcement accounted for unique variance in their drinking outcomes . Women who at baseline derived a smaller proportion of their total reinforcement from substance use showed lower levels of follow-up drinking , even after the authors controlled for baseline drinking level . Male and female participants who reduced their drinking showed increased proportional reinforcement from substance-free activities Background Electronic-based alcohol screening and brief interventions for university students with problem drinking behaviours forms an important means by which to identify risky drinkers . Methods In this study an e-SBI project was implemented to assess drinking patterns , and to provide personalised feedback about alcohol consumption and related health problems , to students in a Swedish university . In this study , third semester university students ( n = 2858 ) from all faculties ( colleges ) at the University were invited to participate in e-SBI screenings . This study employed a r and omised controlled trial , with respondents having a equal chance of being assigned to a limited , or full-feedback response . Results The study shows that high risk drinkers tend to underestimate their own consumption compared to others , and that these high risk drinkers experience more negative consequences after alcohol intake , than other respondents . There was a strong belief , for both high- and low-risk drinkers , that alcohol helped celebrations be more festive . This study also confirms findings from other study locations that while males drank more than females in our study population ; females reached the same peak alcohol blood concentrations as males . Conclusion Obtaining clear and current information on drinking patterns demonstrated by university students can help public health officials , university administration , and local health care providers develop appropriate prevention and treatment strategies Aims Like many indigenous peoples , New Zeal and Māori bear a heavy burden of alcohol-related harm relative to their non-indigenous compatriots , and disparities are greatest among young adults . We tested the effectiveness of web-based alcohol screening and brief intervention ( e-SBI ) for reducing hazardous drinking among Māori university students . Design Parallel , double-blind , multi-site , r and omized controlled trial . Setting Seven of New Zeal and 's eight universities . Participants In April 2010 , we sent e-mail invitations to all 6697 17–24-year-old Māori students to complete a brief web question naire including the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)-C , a screening tool for hazardous and harmful drinking . Those screening positive were computer r and omized to : < 10 minutes of web-based alcohol assessment and personalized feedback ( intervention ) or screening alone ( control ) . Measurements We conducted a fully automated 5-month follow-up assessment with observers and participants blinded to study hypotheses , design and intervention delivery . Pre-determined primary outcomes were : ( i ) frequency of drinking , ( ii ) amount consumed per typical drinking occasion , ( iii ) overall volume of alcohol consumed and ( iv ) academic problems . Findings Of the participants , 1789 were hazardous or harmful drinkers ( AUDIT-C ≥ 4 ) and were r and omized : 850 to control , 939 to intervention . Follow-up assessment s were completed by 682 controls ( 80 % ) and 733 intervention group members ( 78 % ) . Relative to controls , participants receiving intervention drank less often [ RR = 0.89 ; 95 % confidence interval ( CI ) : 0.82–0.97 ] , less per drinking occasion ( RR = 0.92 ; 95 % CI : 0.84–1.00 ) , less overall ( RR = 0.78 ; 95 % CI : 0.69–0.89 ) and had fewer academic problems ( RR = 0.81 ; 95 % CI : 0.69–0.95 ) . Conclusions Web-based screening and brief intervention reduced hazardous and harmful drinking among non-help-seeking Māori students in a large-scale pragmatic trial . The study has wider implication s for behavioural intervention in the important but neglected area of indigenous health OBJECTIVE This study tested the effectiveness of brief primary care provider interventions delivered in a college student health center to a sample of college students who screened positive for high-risk drinking . METHOD Between November 2005 and August 2006 , 8,753 students who presented as new patients to the health service at a large public university were screened for high-risk drinking , and 2,484 students ( 28 % ) screened positive on the 5/4 gender-specific high-risk drinking question ( i.e. , five or more drinks per occasion for men and four or more for women ) . Students who screened positive for high-risk drinking and consented to participate ( N= 363 ; 52 % female ) were r and omly assigned either to a control group ( n = 182 ) or to an experimental group ( n = 181 ) . Participants in the experimental group received two brief intervention sessions that were founded in motivational interviewing techniques and delivered by four specially trained providers within the student health center . Data on alcohol use and related harms were obtained from a Web-based Healthy Lifestyle Question naire , 30-day Timeline Followback alcohol-use diaries , the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index ( RAPI ) , and eight items from the Drinker Inventory of Consequences-2L . RESULTS Repeated measures analysis showed that , compared with the control group ( C ) , the intervention group ( I ) had significant reductions in typical estimated blood alcohol concentration ( BAC ) ( C = .071 vs I = .057 at 3 months ; C = .073 vs I = .057 at 6 months ) , peak BAC ( C = . 142 vs I = .112 at 3 months ; C = .145 vs I = .108 at 6 months ) , peak number of drinks per sitting ( C = 8.03 vs I = 6.87 at 3 months ; C = 7.98 vs I = 6.52 at 6 months ) , average number of drinks per week ( C = 9.47 vs I = 7.33 at 3 months ; C = 8.90 vs I = 6.16 at 6 months ) , number of drunk episodes in a typical week ( C = 1.24 vs I = 0.85 at 3 months ; C = 1.10 vs I = 0.71 at 6 months ) , number of times taken foolish risks ( C = 2.24 vs I = 1.12 at 3 months ) , and RAPI sum scores ( C = 6.55 vs I = 4.96 at 6 months ; C = 6.17 vs I = 4.58 at 9 months ) . CONCLUSIONS Brief interventions delivered by primary care providers in a student health center to high-risk-drinking students may result in significantly decreased alcohol consumption , high-risk drinking , and alcohol-related harms The authors evaluated the efficacy of Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students ( BASICS - L. A. Dimeff , J. S. Baer , D. R. Kivlahan , & G. A. Marlatt , 1999 ) , a single session of drinking-related feedback intended to reduce heavy drinking and related harm .  College student drinkers ( N = 99 ) were assigned to BASICS , an educational intervention , or an assessment -only control group . At 3 months postintervention . there were no overall significant group differences , but heavier drinking BASICS participants showed greater reductions in weekly alcohol consumption and binge drinking than did heavier drinking control and education participants . At 9 months , heavier drinking BASICS participants again showed the largest effect sizes . BASICS participants evaluated the intervention more favorably than did education participants . This study suggests that BASICS may be more efficacious than educational interventions for heavier drinking college students The authors evaluated the efficacy of a computer-delivered personalized normative feedback intervention in reducing alcohol consumption among heavy-drinking college students . Participants included 252 students who were r and omly assigned to an intervention or control group following a baseline assessment . Immediately after completing measures of reasons for drinking , perceived norms , and drinking behavior , participants in the intervention condition were provided with computerized information detailing their own drinking behavior  , their perceptions of typical student drinking , and actual typical student drinking . Results indicated that normative feedback was effective in changing perceived norms and alcohol consumption at 3- and 6-month follow-up assessment s. In addition , the intervention was somewhat more effective at 3-month follow-up among participants who drank more for social reasons This research evaluated the efficacy of a live and interactive group-specific normative feedback intervention design ed to correct misperceptions of alcohol-related group norms and subsequently reduce  drinking behavior . Campus organizations ( N = 20 ) containing 1,162 college students were r and omly assigned to  intervention  or assessment -only control conditions . Participants in the intervention condition attended an intervention during their organization 's regular st and ing meeting . Data were gathered in vivo using computerized h and held keypads into which participants entered personal responses to a series of alcohol-related questions assessing perceptions of normative group behavior as well as actual individual behavior . These data were then immediately presented in graphical form to illustrate discrepancies between perceived and actual behavioral group norms . Results indicated that compared with the control group , the intervention group reduced drinking behavior and misperceptions of group norms at 1-month and 2-month follow-ups . Changes in perceived norms mediated the reductions in drinking . Results demonstrate the effectiveness of a novel , technologically advanced , group-based , brief alcohol intervention that can be implemented with entire groups at relatively low cost Background Studies have shown that university/college students tend to have an exaggerated view of the quantities of alcohol being consumed by their peers . Making students aware of this misperception may help change behaviour and reduce problem drinking . Methods / Design A Solomon Three Group Design will be used . There is one intervention group and two control groups , controlling separately for measurement and for intervention effects . Recruitment , consent , r and omisation and data collection are all on-line . The primary outcomes are AUDIT Score , weekly consumption , perceived social norms , and alcohol related problems ; secondary outcomes include alcohol expectancies and other health behaviours . Discussion This trial will provide information on the effectiveness of an on-line personalized normative feedback intervention for alcohol misuse in university students . Trial registration International St and ard R and omised Controlled Trial Number : IS RCT BACKGROUND The amount a person drinks can be influenced by their perception of drinking by others . AIM We studied whether perception of the amount of drinking by others ( same age and sex ) is associated with one 's own current drinking , and the factors that are related to this perception . METHODS A r and om sample of drinkers ( n = 404 ) from a census of 20-year-old Swiss men ( n = 9686 ) estimated the percentage of others who drink more than they do . Using weekly alcohol consumption data of the census , we computed for each subject the percentage of individuals drinking more than they do . We compared the ' perceived ' to the ' computed ' percentage and classified the drinkers as  overestimating or not drinking by others  . We compared the alcohol consumption of those who overestimated drinking by others to those who did not , using analyses of variance/covariance . We used logistic regression models to evaluate the impact of age , education level , occupation , living environment and family history of alcohol problems on estimations of drinking by others . RESULTS Among the 404 drinkers , the mean ( SD ) number of drinks/week was 7.95(9.79 ) ; 45.5 % overestimated drinking by others , while 35.2 % underestimated it and 19.3 % made an accurate estimation . The likelihood of overestimating increased as individual alcohol use increased . Those overestimating consumed more alcohol than those who did not ; the adjusted mean number of drinks/week ( SE ) 11.45 ( 1.12 ) versus 4.50 ( 1.08 ) , P < 0.0001 . Except for current drinking , no other variables were significantly associated with overestimating . CONCLUSION This study confirms prior findings within selective student population s. It sets the stage for preventive actions , such as normative feedback based on social norms theory OBJECTIVE This study evaluated two brief personal feedback substance-use interventions for students m and ated to the Rutgers University Alcohol and Other Drug Assistance Program for Students ( ADAPS ) : ( 1 ) a brief motivational interview ( BMI ) intervention and ( 2 ) a written feedback-only ( WF ) intervention . A key question addressed by this study was whether there is a need for face-to-face feedback in the context of motivational interviewing to affect changes in substance-use behaviors or whether a written personal feedback profile is enough of an intervention to motivate students to change their substance use . METHOD The sample consisted of 222 students who were m and ated to ADAPS , were eligible for the study , and completed the 3-month follow-up assessment . Eligible students completed a baseline assessment from which a personal feedback profile was created . They were then r and omly assigned to the BMI or WF condition . Students were followed 3 months later . RESULTS Students in both interventions reduced their alcohol consumption , prevalence of cigarette and marijuana use , and problems related to alcohol and drug use between baseline and follow-up . There were no differences between the two intervention conditions in terms of any substance-use outcomes . CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that , under these circumstances and with these students , assessment and WF students changed similarly to those who had an assessment and WF within the context of a BMI . Given the fact that the former is less costly in terms of time and personnel , written profiles may be found to be a cost-effective means of reducing alcohol and drug use and related problems among low- to moderate-risk m and ated college students . More research is needed with m and ated students to determine the efficacy of feedback interventions and to isolate the effects of interventions from the effects of being caught and being reprim and ed to treatment This study tested two forms of alcohol reduction programming for college students . Thirty-seven moderate to heavy drinkers completed measures of quantity/frequency , drinking consequences , and attitude question naires . Participants were r and omly assigned to one of three groups : 1 ) a two-hour information and motivation session plus mailed personal feedback on their drinking ; 2 ) mailed feedback only ; or 3 ) no treatment . At a 6-week follow-up session , the feedback-only group decreased drinks per month as compared to control . No other differences were statistically significant , though decreases favored the treatment conditions about equally over control . Implication s for research and treatment are discussed OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate a brief motivational intervention ( BMI ) for reducing risky alcohol use and alcohol-related problems among m and ated ( M ) and voluntary ( V ) student drinkers to determine ( a ) whether BMI -m and ated students report greater decreases in alcohol use and related problems , relative to no treatment ; ( b ) whether a BMI is comparably effective for m and ated and voluntary students ; and ( c ) whether a m and ated control group shows greater changes in alcohol use and related problems relative to a voluntary control group . METHOD Participants were undergraduate student research volunteers ( 62 % male ) who met heavy drinking criteria and completed measures of alcohol use and alcohol problems at baseline and 4 weeks after intervention . Participants ( N = 84 ) were r and omly assigned to treatment ( T ) or assessment -only control ( C ) conditions ( m and ated students were assigned to a brief wait list ) . RESULTS Participants assigned to treatment reported consuming fewer drinks after the intervention ( MT : M = 14.11 drinks ; VT : M = 14.05 ) relative to control groups ( MC : M = 20.71 ; VC : M = 16.53 ) . Evaluation of alcohol-related problems indicated a significant effect of referral status , such that m and ated students reported significantly fewer problems at the follow-up assessment relative to volunteers . CONCLUSIONS BMI s are comparably effective for m and ated and voluntary students and may result in larger reductions in alcohol use than disciplinary attention alone . More longitudinal research is needed to evaluate the long-term impact of a BMI among m and ated students BACKGROUND There is compelling evidence supporting screening and brief intervention ( SBI ) for hazardous drinking , yet it remains underused in primary health care . Electronic ( computer or Web-based ) SBI ( e-SBI ) offers the prospect s of ease and economy of access . We sought to determine whether e-SBI reduces hazardous drinking . METHODS We conducted a r and omized controlled trial in a university primary health care service . Participants were 975 students ( age range , 17 - 29 years ) screened using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test ( AUDIT ) . Of 599 students who scored in the hazardous or harmful range , 576 ( 300 of whom were women ) consented to the trial and were r and omized to receive an information pamphlet ( control group ) , a Web-based motivational intervention ( single-dose e-SBI group ) , or a Web-based motivational intervention with further interventions 1 and 6 months later ( multidose e-SBI group ) . RESULTS Relative to the control group , the single-dose e-SBI group at 6 months reported a lower frequency of drinking ( rate ratio [ RR ] , 0.79 ; 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] , 0.68 - 0.94 ) , less total consumption ( RR , 0.77 ; 95 % CI , 0.63 - 0.95 ) , and fewer academic problems ( RR , 0.76 ; 95 % CI , 0.64 - 0.91 ) . At 12 months , statistically significant differences in total consumption ( RR , 0.77 ; 95 % CI , 0.63 - 0.95 [ equivalent to 3.5 st and ard drinks per week ] ) and in academic problems ( RR , 0.80 ; 95 % CI , 0.66 - 0.97 ) remained , and the AUDIT scores were 2.17 ( 95 % CI , -1.10 to -3.24 ) points lower . Relative to the control group , the multidose e-SBI group at 6 months reported a lower frequency of drinking ( RR , 0.85 ; 95 % CI , 0.73 - 0.98 ) , less total consumption ( RR , 0.79 ; 95 % CI , 0.64 - 0.97 [ equivalent to 3.0 st and ard drinks per week ] ) , reduced episodic heavy drinking ( RR , 0.65 ; 95 % CI , 0.45 - 0.93 ) , and fewer academic problems ( RR , 0.78 ; 95 % CI , 0.65 - 0.93 ) . At 12 months , statistically significant differences in academic problems remained ( RR , 0.75 ; 95 % CI , 0.62 - 0.90 ) , while the AUDIT scores were 2.02 ( 95 % CI , -0.97 to -3.10 ) points lower . CONCLUSIONS Single-dose e-SBI reduces hazardous drinking , and the effect lasts 12 months . Additional sessions seem not to enhance the effect . Trial Registration www.anzctr.org.au Identifier : ACTRN012607000103460 BACKGROUND University students drink more heavily than their nonstudent peers and are often unaware that their drinking is risky and exceeds normative levels . We tested the efficacy of a proactive Web-based alcohol screening and brief intervention program . METHODS A r and omized controlled trial was conducted at an Australian university in 2007 . Invitations were sent to 13 000 undergraduates ( age range , 17 - 24 years ) to complete a Web-based Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test . Of 7237 students who responded , 2435 scored in the hazardous/harmful range ( > or = 8) and were r and omized , and 2050 ( 84 % ) completed at least 1 follow-up assessment . Intervention was 10 minutes of Web-based motivational assessment and personalized feedback . Controls received only screening . Follow-up assessment s were conducted at 1 and 6 months with observers and participants blinded to allocation . Outcome measures were drinking frequency , typical occasion quantity , overall volume , number of personal problems , an academic problems score , prevalence of binge drinking , and prevalence of heavy drinking . RESULTS Mean ( SD ) baseline Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test scores for control and intervention groups were 14.3 ( 5.1 ) and 14.2 ( 5.1 ) , respectively . After 1 month , participants receiving intervention drank less often ( rate ratio [ RR ] , 0.89 ; 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] , 0.83 - 0.94 ) , smaller quantities per occasion ( RR , 0.93 ; 95 % CI , 0.88 - 0.98 ) , and less alcohol overall ( RR , 0.83 ; 95 % CI , 0.78 - 0.90 ) than did controls . Differences in alcohol-related harms were nonsignificant . At 6 months , intervention effects persisted for drinking frequency ( RR , 0.91 ; 95 % CI , 0.85 - 0.97 ) and overall volume ( RR , 0.89 ; 95 % CI , 0.82 - 0.96 ) but not for other variables . CONCLUSION Proactive Web-based screening and intervention reduces drinking in undergraduates , and such a program could be implemented widely AIMS To determine the acceptability to university students of practitioner-delivered screening and brief intervention ( SBI ) versus a novel approach-web-based SBI ( e-SBI ) . METHODS A r and om sample of 1910 university students was invited to indicate their preferences for various brief intervention approaches in an internet survey . RESULTS e-SBI was the most popular intervention . It was favoured by 81 % of all students and 82 % of hazardous drinkers . CONCLUSIONS e-SBI is a promising approach for the reduction of hazardous drinking among young people AIMS Brief alcohol interventions typically have been directed to heavy-drinking patients seeking primary health care and college students . This study examined the efficacy of mailing brief personalized assessment -feedback to interested drinkers recruited from the general public . We hypothesized that problem drinkers would benefit more from the intervention than individuals who were not problem drinkers . DESIGN A two-arm , double-blinded , community-based r and omized controlled trial with 6-month follow-up . SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS A screening interview was administered to a stratified r and om sample of 10 014 Canadians 18 years of age and older ( 5621 women and 4393 men ; M age = 43.3 years , SD = 15.99 ; response rate = 65.4 % ) . INTERVENTION Current drinkers interested in receiving alcohol self-help material s ( n = 1727 ) were assigned r and omly to receive brief personalized assessment -feedback on male and female population drinking norms by mail , or to a delayed-treatment control group , and were contacted 6 months later ( 76 % retention rate ) . MEASUREMENTS Problem drinking status at baseline [ using sex-specific Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test ( AUDIT ) cut scores ] , and frequency and quantity of alcohol use at follow-up . FINDINGS Analysis of covariance identified the hypothesized interaction of baseline problem drinking status and treatment condition ( P < 0.01 ) . Among problem drinkers identified at baseline the intervention caused a 10.1 % reduction in per-occasion binge drinking compared to controls , whereas there was no difference in binge drinking across conditions for non-problem drinkers . CONCLUSIONS The continuum of care for alcohol problems can be broadened by providing brief interventions to interested drinkers in the general population This study explored secondary effects of a multisite r and omized alcohol prevention trial on tobacco , marijuana , and other illicit drug use among a sample of incoming college students who participated in high school athletics . Students ( n = 1,275 ) completed a series of Web-administered measures at baseline during the summer before starting college and 10 months later . Students were r and omized to one of four conditions : a parent-delivered intervention , a brief motivation enhancement intervention ( Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students [ BASICS ] ) , a condition combining the parent intervention and BASICS , and assessment -only control . A series of analyses of variance evaluating drug use outcomes at the 10-month follow-up assessment revealed significant reductions in marijuana use among students who received the combined intervention compared to the BASICS-only and control groups . No other significant differences between treatment conditions were found for tobacco or other illicit drug use . Our findings suggest the potential utility of targeting both alcohol and marijuana use when developing peer- and parent-based interventions for students transitioning to college . Clinical implication s and future research directions are considered Nationally , college drinkers exhibit the highest rates of alcohol consumption and represent the largest percentage of problem drinkers . Group motivational enhancement therapy ( GMET ) has been found to catalyze problem drinking reductions among college student sample s. Although research supporting the use of single-session GMET in college sample s ( general and m and ated ) is emergent , no studies have evaluated a comprehensive model of the potential active ingredients of this group intervention . College students ( N = 206 ; 88 % White ; 63 % men ; M age = 18.6 ) m and ated to a university alcohol diversion program were r and omly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions : the st and ard-of-care 2-session " Focus on Alcohol Concerns " education group ( FAC ) , a single GMET , or a single alcohol information-only control group ( AI ) to evaluate the role of 5 putative mediators : readiness to change , self-efficacy , perceived risk , norm estimates , and positive drinking expectancies . At 3- and 6-month follow-ups , GMET students demonstrated greater reductions in problem drinking outcomes ( drinks per drinking day , hazardous drinking symptoms , and alcohol-related problems ) . Of the 5 mediators proposed , only self-efficacy emerged as a significant mediator Motivational interviewing ( MI ) is a counseling style that has been shown to reduce heavy drinking among college students . To date , all studies of MI among college students have used a format that includes a feedback profile delivered in an MI style . This study was a dismantling trial of MI and feedback among heavy-drinking college students . After an initial screen , 279 heavy-drinking students were r and omized to ( a ) Web feedback only , ( b ) a single MI session without feedback , ( c ) a single MI session with feedback , or ( d ) assessment only . At 6 months , MI with feedback  significantly reduced drinking , as compared with assessment only ( effect size = .54 ) , MI without feedback ( effect size = .63 ) , and feedback alone ( effect size = .48 ) . Neither MI alone nor feedback alone differed from  assessment  only . Neither sex , race or ethnicity , nor baseline severity of drinking moderated the effect of the intervention . Norm perceptions mediated the effect of the intervention on drinking . MI with feedback appears to be a robust intervention for reducing drinking and may be mediated by changes in normative perceptions BACKGROUND Strong evidence exists for the efficacy of screening and brief intervention for reducing  hazardous drinking .  However , problems have been highlighted with respect to its implementation in health-care systems , not least of which is a reluctance of some doctors to discuss alcohol proactively with their patients . AIMS To determine the efficacy of a novel web-based screening and brief intervention ( e-SBI ) to reduce hazardous drinking . DESIGN A double-blind r and omized controlled trial . SETTING A university student health service . PARTICIPANTS A total of 167 students ( 17 - 26 years ) were recruited in the reception area and completed a 3-minute web-based screen including the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test ( AUDIT ) question naire . Of these , 112 tested positive , and 104 ( 52 females ) who consented to follow-up were included in the trial . MEASUREMENTS Drinking frequency , typical occasion quantity , total volume , heavy episode frequency ( females > 80 g ethanol , males > 120 g ethanol ) , number of personal problems , an academic problems score . INTERVENTION Participants were r and omized to 10 - 15 minutes of web-based assessment and personalized feedback on their drinking ( intervention , n = 51 ) or to a leaflet-only control group ( n = 53 ) . FINDINGS Mean baseline AUDIT scores for control and intervention groups were 16.6 ( SD = 6.0 ) and 16.6 ( SD = 5.7 ) . At 6 weeks , participants receiving e-SBI reported significantly lower total consumption ( geometric mean ratio = 0.74 ; 95 % confidence interval : 0.56 - 0.96 ) , lower heavy episode frequency ( 0.63 ; 0.42 - 0.92 ) and fewer personal problems ( 0.70 ; 0.54 - 0.91 ) . At 6 months personal problems remained lower ( 0.76 ; 0.60 - 0.97 ) , although consumption did not differ significantly . At 6 months , academic problems were lower in the intervention group relative to controls ( 0.72 ; 0.51 - 1.02 ) . CONCLUSIONS e-SBI reduced  hazardous drinking among university students , to an extent similar to that found for practitioner-delivered brief interventions in the general population . e-SBI offers promise as a strategy to reduce alcohol-related harm in a way that is non-intrusive , appealing to the target group , and capable of being incorporated into primary care . Research is required to replicate the findings , to determine the duration of intervention effects , and to investigate the mechanisms by which the intervention operates BACKGROUND High-risk alcohol consumption among university students is well documented . Several types of intervention have proved to be effective in reducing alcohol consumption . This study examines the 2-year outcome of 2 different alcohol intervention programs at university halls of residence . METHODS Ninety-eight university halls of residence ( with 556 students ) were cluster r and omized to 2 different intervention groups : a brief skills training program ( BSTP ) with interactive lectures and discussion s , a twelve-step-influenced ( TSI ) program with didactic lectures by therapists trained in the 12-step approach , and a control group . All students completing the baseline assessment received personalized feedback by mail . Students responded to mailed follow-up question naires after 1 , 2 , and 3 years , including alcohol use disorders identification test ( AUDIT ; years 2 and 3 ) , short index of problems ( SIP ) , and estimated blood alcohol concentration ( eBAC ) . RESULTS All groups significantly reduced their AUDIT scores from baseline to the second year follow-up , with no significant differences between the groups . Seventy-seven percent of the students belonged to a population with high-risk consumption , using the AUDIT cut-off scores of 8 and 4 for men and women , respectively . Students with high-risk alcohol consumption showed significant differences in AUDIT score reduction in favor of the BSTP compared with controls , and had a tendency to show better results than the TSI intervention ( p=0.06 ) . Similar trends could be seen using SIP and eBAC . The TSI did not differ significantly from the control group within the group of students with high-risk alcohol consumption . CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that a BSTP is effective as an intervention in students with high-risk alcohol consumption This r and omized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of a brief intervention design ed to reduce the harmful consequences of heavy drinking among high-risk college students . Students screened for risk while in their senior year of high school ( 188 women and 160 men ) were r and omly assigned to receive an individualized motivational brief intervention in their freshman year of college or to a no-treatment control condition . A normative group selected from the entire screening pool provided a natural history comparison . Follow-up assessment s over a 2-year period showed significant reductions in both drinking rates and harmful consequences , favoring students receiving the intervention . Although high-risk students continued to experience more alcohol problems than the natural history comparison group over the 2-year period , most showed a decline in problems over time , suggesting a developmental maturational effect OBJECTIVE Although much research has explored the relation of substance-use norms to substance use among college students , much less research has focused on employed adults and the workplace as a social context for social norms regarding substance use . This study explored the relation of descriptive and injunctive workplace substance-use norms regarding alcohol and illicit drug use to employee  substance use . Both alcohol use and illicit drug use were explored , as well as overall and context -specific use and impairment . METHOD Data were collected from a national probability sample of 2,430 employed adults ( 55 % female ) using a r and om-digit-dial telephone survey .  Overall employee alcohol and illicit drug use were assessed , as well as use before work , use and impairment during the workday , and use after work . RESULTS After controlling for a number of potential covariates , injunctive norms regarding workplace alcohol and illicit drug use predicted substance use and impairment overall and across all context s of use . Descriptive norms predicted alcohol and illicit drug use before and during work , as well as workplace impairment . CONCLUSIONS This study shows that both  workplace injunctive and descriptive norms are important predictors of substance use in the U.S. workforce . There were two general patterns , however , that were consistent across both alcohol and illicit drug use . Social norms marketing campaigns , therefore , may be a useful way for employers to target employee substance use . The present results also helped to integrate the results of several prior studies that employed narrower sample s and measures This study consisted of a r and omized controlled trial of a 1-session motivational intervention for college student binge drinkers . Sixty students who reported binge drinking 2 or more times in the past 30 days were r and omly assigned to either a no-treatment control or a brief intervention group . The intervention provided students with feedback regarding personal consumption , perceived drinking norms , alcohol-related problems , situations associated with heavy drinking , and alcohol expectancies . At 6-week follow-up , the brief intervention group exhibited significant reductions on number of drinks consumed per week , number of times drinking alcohol in the past month , and frequency of binge drinking in the past month . Estimates of typical student drinking mediated these reductions . This study replicates earlier research on the efficacy of brief interventions with college students and extends previous work regarding potential mechanisms of change OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the relative efficacy of personalized drinking feedback ( PDF ) delivered with and without a motivational interview ( MI ) for college student drinkers . METHOD Heavy-drinking college students ( N = 54 ; 691 % female ) were identified from a large screening sample and r and omly assigned either to receive PDF during a single MI session or to receive PDF without an MI . Of these participants , 51 ( 94 % ) completed a 6-month follow-up assessment that included measures of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems . RESULTS At 6-months postintervention , participants in both groups showed significant , small to moderate reductions in alcohol consumption , but the groups did not differ . Women showed larger reductions than men . Rates of alcohol-related problems remained relatively unchanged . CONCLUSIONS The hypothesis that an MI would enhance the efficacy of PDF was not supported OBJECTIVE An 18-site r and omized trial was conducted to determine the effectiveness of social norms marketing ( SNM ) campaigns in reducing  college student drinking .  The SNM campaigns are intended to correct misperceptions of subjective drinking norms and thereby drive down alcohol consumption . METHOD Institutions of higher education were r and omly assigned to treatment and control groups . At the treatment group institutions , SNM campaigns delivered school-specific , data -driven messages through a mix of campus media venues . Cross-sectional student surveys were conducted by mail at baseline ( n = 2,771 ) and at posttest 3 years later ( n = 2,939 ) . Hierarchical linear modeling was applied to examine multiple drinking outcomes , taking intraclass correlation into account . RESULTS Controlling for other predictors , having an SNM campaign was significantly associated with lower perceptions of student drinking levels and lower alcohol consumption , as measured by a composite drinking scale , recent maximum consumption , blood alcohol concentration for recent maximum consumption , drinks consumed when partying , and drinks consumed per week . A moderate mediating effect of normative perceptions on student drinking was demonstrated by an attenuation of the Experimental Group x Time interaction , ranging from 16.4 % to 39.5 % across measures . Additional models that took into account the intensity of  SNM  campaign activity at the treatment institutions suggested that there was a dose-response relationship . CONCLUSIONS This study is the most rigorous evaluation of SNM campaigns conducted to date . Analysis revealed that students attending institutions that implemented an SNM campaign had a lower relative risk of alcohol consumption than students attending control group institutions OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a brief intervention for m and ated students in the context of the University Assistance Program , a Student Assistance Program developed and modeled after workplace Employee Assistance Programs . METHOD Participants were 265 ( 196 males and 69 females ) judicially m and ated college students enrolled in a large , urban university in the northeast United States . All participants were sanctioned by the university 's judicial office for an alcohol- or drug-related violation . Participants were r and omized to one of two intervention conditions ( the University Assistance Program or services as usual ) and were assessed at baseline and 3 and 6 months after intervention . RESULTS Growth curve analyses showed that , relative to services as usual , the University Assistance Program was more efficacious in reducing past-90-day weekday alcohol consumption and the number of alcohol-related consequences while increasing past-90-day use of protective behaviors and coping skills . No significant differences in growth trajectories were found between the two intervention conditions on past-90-day blood alcohol concentration , total alcohol consumption , or weekend consumption . CONCLUSIONS The University Assistance Program may have a possible advantage over services as usual for m and ated students AIMS To examine alcohol consumption and the role of religiosity in  alcohol use disorders in Christian , Druze and Muslim youth in Lebanon , given their distinct religious doctrines and social norms . METHODS Using a self-completed anonymous question naire , data were collected on 1837 students , selected r and omly from two large private universities in Beirut .  Life-time abuse and dependence were measured as per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual version IV . FINDINGS Alcohol use was more common in Christians , who started drinking younger and were twice as likely to be diagnosed with abuse and dependence . However , among ever drinkers , the odds of alcohol use disorders were comparable across religious groups . Believing in God and practising one 's faith were related inversely to alcohol abuse and dependence in all religious groups , even among ever drinkers ( belief in God only ) . The associations were sometimes stronger for Muslims , suggesting that religiosity may play a larger role in a more proscriptive religion , as postulated by'reference group theory ' . CONCLUSIONS Students belonging to conservative religious groups may be shielded from the opportunity to try alcohol . Once an ever drinker , however , religion is not related to the odds of an alcohol use disorder . Religiosity ( i.e. belief in God and religious practice ) is , nevertheless , related inversely to alcohol-related problems , even among drinkers . Findings from this culturally and religiously diverse Arab country corroborate the international literature on religion , religiosity and alcohol use , highlighting potential differences between Christians and Muslims OBJECTIVE Web-based brief alcohol interventions have the potential to reach a large number of individuals at low cost ; however , few controlled evaluations have been conducted to date . The present study was design ed to evaluate the efficacy of gender-specific versus gender-nonspecific personalized normative feedback ( PNF ) with single versus biannual administration in a 2-year r and omized controlled trial targeting a large sample of heavy-drinking college students . METHOD Participants included 818 freshmen ( 57.6 % women ; 42 % non-Caucasian ) who reported 1 or more heavy-drinking episodes in the previous month at baseline . Participants were r and omly assigned in a 2 ( gender-specific vs. gender-nonspecific PNF ) × 2 ( single vs. biannual administration of PNF ) + 1 ( attention control ) design . Assessment s occurred every 6 months for a 2-year period . RESULTS Results from hierarchical generalized linear models provided modest effects on weekly drinking and alcohol-related problems but not on heavy episodic drinking . Relative to control , gender-specific biannual PNF was associated with reductions over time in weekly drinking ( d = -0.16 , 95 % CI [ -0.02 , -0.31 ] ) , and this effect was partially mediated by changes in perceived norms . For women , but not men , gender-specific biannual PNF was associated with reductions over time in alcohol-related problems relative to control ( d = -0.29 , 95 % CI [ -0.15 , -0.58 ] ) . Few other effects were evident . CONCLUSIONS The present research provides modest support for the use of biannually administered web-based gender-specific PNF as an alternative to more costly indicated prevention strategies UNLABELLED Web-based screening and brief interventions that include personalized feedback about their alcohol use have proven to be particularly promising for reducing hazardous drinking among university students . Despite the increasing use of these approaches , there is still relatively little known about how the content of these interventions may influence outcomes and who may benefit most from these approaches . The current study sought to address these issues by examining how individual differences in alcohol consequences influence outcomes of a laboratory-based computerized intervention . METHODS One-hundred and nineteen introductory psychology students who either had two episodes of heavy episodic drinking in the past month or scored ≥8 on the AUDIT participated in this r and omized controlled trial for course credit . Participants were assigned to 1 of 4 conditions in this 2 Intervention ( Alcohol Feedback vs. Control) × 2 Assessment ( Motivational Assessment vs. No Motivational Assessment ) between-subjects design . Quantity of alcohol consumed per week and heavy episodic drinking one month later were the primary dependent variables . RESULTS Controlling for corresponding baseline alcohol measures , hierarchical linear regression analyses showed a significant interaction between intervention condition and baseline alcohol-related consequences . For those who reported more alcohol consequences at baseline , the alcohol intervention result ed in significantly less alcohol use and fewer heavy drinking episodes at follow-up , while no difference was observed between intervention conditions for those with few baseline consequences . Assessment did not moderate intervention effects . DISCUSSION These findings suggest that a feedback-based computerized intervention that includes normative information about alcohol use and consequences may be more effective for hazardous drinking students who are experiencing higher levels of alcohol-related consequences This study is the first reported test of the unique and combined effects of Brief Motivational Intervention ( BMI ) and Alcohol Expectancy Challenge ( AEC ) with heavy drinking college students . Three hundred and thirty-five participants were r and omly assigned in a 2x2 factorial design to either : BMI , AEC , BMI and AEC , and assessment only conditions . Follow-ups occurred at 1 , 3 , and 6 months . Unconditional latent curve analyses suggested that alcohol use ( Q-F ) , heavy episodic drinking , and alcohol problems were best modeled as quadratic effects . BMI produced significant decreases in Q-F , heavy drinking , and problems , while AEC produced significant decreases in Q-F and heavy drinking . There was no evidence of an additive effect of combining the interventions . Intervention effects decayed somewhat for BMI and completely for AEC over 6 months . Multi-group analyses suggested similar intervention effects for men and women . BMI effects on alcohol problems were mediated by perceived norms . These findings extend previous research with BMI and AEC but do not support their utility as a combined preventive intervention to reduce collegiate alcohol abuse Social norms interventions are a common approach to addressing the problem of college student drinking . An increasingly popular but not yet well-vali date d social-norms-based intervention consists of providing normative feedback to students in small groups . Objective , Participants , and Methods : In this study , the authors used a r and omized design to test an interactive form of small-group social norms correction with 502 first-year students during September and October 2001 . Because the unit of r and om assignment was at the level of the classroom , the authors used hierarchical linear modeling to estimate variability . They investigated whether small-group interactive social norms correction could influence alcohol perceptions and behaviors above and beyond a noninteractive social norms education approach . Results : Results indicate that the approach has a fairly substantial influence on student perceptions ; however , the findings do not support an influence of interactive small-group social norms correction on measures of alcohol use behaviors . Conclusions : Given these findings , the use of interactive small-group social norms approach to influence student misperceptions may be considered as a primer for population -level preventive interventions In this study , an open-ended decisional balance worksheet was used to elicit self-generated pros and cons of current drinking and reducing drinking , which were then quantified to create a decisional balance proportion ( DBP ) reflecting movement toward change ( i.e. , counts of pros of reducing drinking and cons of current drinking to all decisional balance fields ) . This study 's goal was to examine the convergent , discriminant , and predictive validity of the DBP as a measure of motivation to change . Participants were college students ( N = 143 ) who reported having engaged in weekly heavy , episodic drinking and who had participated in a larger r and omized clinical trial of brief motivational interventions ( K. B. Carey , M. P. Carey , S. A. Maisto , & J. M. Henson , 2006 ) . Findings indicated partial support for convergent and discriminant validity of the DBP . Compared with Likert scale measures of decisional balance and readiness to change , DBP scores reflecting greater movement toward change best predicted reductions in heavy drinking quantity and frequency and experience of alcohol-related consequences , although some of these effects decayed by the 12-month follow-up . Findings suggest that the DBP is a valid measure of motivation to change among at-risk college drinkers OBJECTIVE Web-based personalized feedback interventions , particularly personalized normative feedback ( PNF ) , are efficacious in improving  college drinking outcomes ; however , no personalized feedback interventions to date have provided college drinkers with feedback about their own decisional balance . This study tested the relative efficacy of a novel decisional balance feedback ( DBF ) intervention , PNF , and an assessment -only control condition . METHOD Participants ( N = 724 ; 56 % female ) were undergraduate students at a 4-year university in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and were r and omized to receive one-time exposure to web-based DBF , PNF , or assessment only . Web-based assessment occurred at baseline and at 1- , 6- , and 12-month follow-ups and included measures of motivation to change , drinking quantity norms , drinking frequency/quantity , and alcohol-related problems . RESULTS At the 1-month follow-up , DBF and PNF participants reported reductions in alcohol-related problems ; however , only PNF participants reduced their drinking frequency and quantity . At the 6-month follow-up , only DBF participants showed significant reductions in drinking quantity and alcohol-related problems . Neither group maintained reductions in alcohol use or alcohol-related problems at the 12-month follow-up . CONCLUSIONS This study provided preliminary evidence that web-based DBF and PNF are efficacious interventions for college drinkers , with DBF having somewhat longer lasting effects This study evaluated the efficacy of two Web-based interventions aim ed at reducing heavy drinking in m and ated college students . M and ated students were r and omly assigned to one of two conditions : Web-based personalized normative feedback ( WPNF ) or Web-based education ( WE ) . As predicted , results indicated that m and ated students in the WPNF condition reported significantly greater reductions in weekly drinking quantity , peak alcohol consumption , and frequency of drinking to intoxication than students in the WE condition at a 30-day follow-up . Although not statistically significant , there was a similar trend for changes in alcohol-related problems . M and ated students in the WPNF group also reported significantly greater reductions in estimates of peer drinking from baseline to the follow-up assessment than students in the WE group . In addition , changes in estimates of peer drinking mediated the effect of the intervention on changes in drinking . Findings provide support for providing Web-based personalized normative feedback as an intervention program for m and ated college students OBJECTIVE The current study tested the efficacy of a brief intervention design ed to reduce drinking and drinking-related consequences among first-year fraternity members . METHOD Twelve fraternities were r and omly assigned to receive either a motivational enhancement intervention with individual and housewide feedback components ( n = 6 houses ) or a treatment-as-usual control condition ( n = 6 houses ) . Individual feedback was delivered either by peer interviewers or professional research staff . Participants were assessed during their pledge ( first ) year of house membership and during a follow-up period 1 year later . RESULTS Of the participants who completed follow-up ( N = 120 ) , fraternity members who received the brief intervention reported significant reductions in alcohol use ( total average consumption ) and typical peak blood alcohol concentrations when compared with fraternity members in the control condition . No differences in drinking-related consequences were observed . Fraternity members who received their individualized feedback from peer interviewers and professional members of the research staff reported similar outcomes . CONCLUSIONS Results provide support for the efficacy of a brief motivational enhancement intervention in reducing drinking within this high-risk population . The cost-effective use of peer interviewers appears to be a promising strategy for delivering individualized prevention programming in college population The objectives of this research were to evaluate the efficacy of computer-delivered personalized normative feedback among heavy drinking college students and to evaluate controlled orientation as a moderator of intervention efficacy . Participants ( N = 217 ) included primarily freshman and sophomore , heavy drinking students who were r and omly assigned to receive or not to receive personalized normative feedback immediately following baseline assessment .  Perceived norms , number of drinks per week , and alcohol-related problems were the main outcome measures . Controlled orientation was specified as a moderator . At 2-month follow-up , students who received normative feedback reported drinking fewer drinks per week than did students who did not receive feedback , and this reduction was mediated by changes in perceived norms . The intervention also reduced alcohol-related negative consequences among students who were higher in controlled orientation . These results provide further support for computer-delivered personalized normative feedback as an empirically supported brief intervention for heavy drinking college students , and they enhance the underst and ing of why and for whom normative feedback is effective OBJECTIVE College students are an at-risk population for heavy drinking and negative alcohol-related outcomes . Research has established that brief , multicomponent motivational interviewing-based interventions can be effective at reducing alcohol use or related problems , but less is known about the efficacy of individual components within these interventions . The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of 2 single-component , in-person , brief ( 15 - 20 min ) alcohol interventions : personalized normative feedback ( PNF ) and protective behavioral strategies feedback ( PBSF ) . METHOD Data were collected on 365 undergraduate students from a large Midwestern university ( 65 % women ; 89 % White ) who were r and omly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions : PNF , PBSF , or alcohol education ( AE ) . Participants completed measures of alcohol use , alcohol-related problems , social norms , and protective behavioral strategies . RESULTS Results indicated that the PNF intervention was efficacious relative to the other conditions at reducing alcohol use and that its effects at 6-month follow-up were mediated by changes in perceived norms at the 1-month follow-up . The PBSF intervention was not efficacious at reducing alcohol use or alcohol-related problems . CONCLUSIONS These findings provide support for the efficacy of an in-person PNF intervention and theoretical support for the hypothesized mechanisms of change in the intervention . Implication s for research ers and clinicians are discussed OBJECTIVE Using a r and omized factorial design , we examined the efficacy of a brief motivational intervention ( BMI ) and a parent-based intervention ( PBI ) as universal preventive interventions to reduce alcohol use among incoming college students . METHOD Participants ( N = 1,014 ) were assessed prior to matriculation and at 10 months and 22 months postbaseline . Two-part latent growth modeling was used to simultaneously examine initiation and growth in heavy episodic drinking and alcohol-related consequences . RESULTS This study retained 90.8 % ( n = 921 ) of r and omized students at the 10-month follow-up and 84.0 % ( n = 852 ) of r and omized students at the 22-month follow-up . BMI participants were significantly less likely than non- BMI participants to initiate heavy episodic drinking and to begin experiencing alcohol-related consequences . Effect sizes were minimal at 10 months ( Cohen 's h ranged from 0.02 to 0.07 ) and were small at 22 months ( hs ranged from 0.15 to 0.22 ) . A significant BMI x PBI interaction revealed that students receiving both the BMI and the PBI were significantly less likely to report the onset of consequences beyond the sum of the individual intervention effects ( h = 0.08 at 10 months , and h = 0.21 at 22 months ) . Hypothesized direct BMI effects for reductions in heavy episodic drinking and consequences were not observed . Significant mediated effects via changes in descriptive norms were present for both growth and initiation of heavy episodic drinking and consequences . CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge , the current study is the first to provide support for BMI as a universal preventive intervention for incoming college students . Although hypothesized PBI main effects were not found , mediation analyses suggest future refinements could enhance PBI effectiveness This article presents an initial r and omized controlled trial of an event-specific prevention intervention .  Participants included 295 college students ( 41.69 % male , 58.31 % female ) who intended to consume 2 or more drinks on their 21st birthday . Participants completed a screening/baseline assessment approximately 1 week before they turned 21 and were r and omly assigned to receive Web-based personalized feedback or assessment only . Feedback included normative information , protective behaviors , and personalized blood alcohol concentration information . A follow-up assessment was completed approximately 1 week after a student 's birthday . Results indicated a significant intervention effect in reducing estimated blood alcohol concentration ( d = 0.33 ) . The intervention effect was moderated by 21st-birthday drinking intentions , and the intervention was primarily effective among those who intended to reach higher levels of intoxication . Results provide some support for normative information as a mediator of intervention efficacy . Overall results provide support for Web-based personalized feedback as an intervention approach for specific events associated with extreme drinking BACKGROUND Physical inactivity , low fruit and vegetable intake , hazardous drinking , and smoking are leading risk factors for disease and injury . The aim of this study was to obtain estimates of efficacy in reducing the first three of these behaviors . METHOD The design was a r and omized controlled trial : 218 patients ( 17 - 24 years ) attending a student health service at a New Zeal and university in 2003 were assigned to : ( A ) web-based assessment and personalized feedback ( n = 72 ) ; or ( B ) assessment only ( n = 74 ) ; or ( C ) minimal contact ( n = 72 ) . Outcome measures were the proportion meeting recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption , physical activity , and alcohol consumption 6 weeks later . RESULTS Follow-up assessment s were attained for 86 % of participants , with no evidence of differential attrition . There were significant differences in the proportion meeting recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity in group A relative to C. Hazardous drinking prevalence did not vary significantly by group . CONCLUSIONS Differences appear attributable to the intervention . The intervention could be routinely provided in primary care , and its efficacy could be assessed in a large r and omized controlled trial Background Unhealthy alcohol use among university students is cause for concern , yet the level of help seeking behavior for alcohol use is low within the student population . Electronic brief interventions delivered via the Internet present an alternative to traditional treatments and could enable the delivery of interventions on a population basis . Further evidence is needed of the effectiveness of Internet-delivered interventions and of their generalizability across educational institutions . Objective Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness across 4 UK universities of a Web-based intervention for student alcohol use . Methods In total , 1112 participants took part . Participants were stratified by educational institution , gender , age group , year of study , and self-reported weekly consumption of alcohol and r and omly assigned to either the control arm or to the immediate or delayed intervention arms . Intervention participants gained access to the intervention between weeks 1 to 7 or weeks 8 to 15 , respectively . The intervention provided electronic personalized feedback and social norms information on drinking behavior accessed by logging on to a website . Participants registered interest by completing a brief screening question naire and were then asked to complete 4 further assessment s across the 24 weeks of the study . Assessment s included a retrospective weekly drinking diary , the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test ( AUDIT ) , and a readiness-to-change algorithm . The outcome variable was the number of units of alcohol consumed in the last week . The effect of treatment arm and time on units consumed last week and average units consumed per drinking occasion were investigated using repeated measures multivariate analysis of covariance ( MANCOVA ) . In addition , the data were modeled using a longitudinal regression with time points clustered within students . Results MANCOVA revealed a main effect of time on units of alcohol consumed over the last week . A longitudinal regression model showed an effect of assessment across time predicting that participants who completed at least 2 assessment s reduced their drinking . The model predicted an additional effect of being assigned to an intervention arm , an effect that increased across time . Regression analysis predicted that being male or being assigned to an intervention arm increased the odds of not completing all assessment s. The number of units of alcohol consumed over the last week at registration , age , university educational institution , and readiness to change were not predictive of completion . Conclusions Delivering an electronic personalized feedback intervention to students via the Internet can be effective in reducing weekly alcohol consumption . The effect does not appear to differ by educational institution . Our model suggested that monitoring alone is likely to reduce weekly consumption over 24 weeks but that consumption could be further reduced by providing access to a Web-based intervention . Further research is needed to underst and the apparent therapeutic effect of monitoring and how this can be utilized to enhance the effectiveness of brief Web-based interventions OBJECTIVE Many brief interventions include personalized normative feedback ( PNF ) using gender-specific or gender-neutral referents . Several theories suggest that information pertaining to more socially proximal referents should have greater influence on one 's behavior compared with more socially distal referents . The current research evaluated whether gender specificity of the normative referent employed in PNF related to intervention efficacy . METHOD Following baseline assessment , 185 college students ( 45.2 % women ) were r and omly assigned to one of three intervention conditions : gender-specific feedback , gender-neutral feedback , or assessment -only control . Immediately after completing measures of perceived norms , alcohol consumption , and gender identity , participants in the gender-neutral and gender-specific intervention conditions were provided with computerized information detailing their own drinking behavior , their perceptions of student drinking , and actual student drinking . RESULTS After a 1-month follow-up , the results indicated that normative feedback was effective in changing perceived norms and reducing alcohol consumption for both intervention groups for women and men . The results provide support , however , for changes in perceived gender-specific norms as a mediator of the effects of normative feedback on reduced drinking behavior for women only . Additionally , gender-specific feedback was found to be more effective for women higher in gender identity , relative to the gender-neutral feedback . A post- assessment follow-up telephone survey administered to assess potential dem and characteristics corroborated the intervention effects . CONCLUSIONS Results extend previous research documenting efficacy of computer delivered PNF . Gender specificity and gender identity appear to be important elements to consider for PNF intervention efficacy for women Objective : The objective of this research is to obtain accurate drinking norms for students living in the university residences in preparation for future social norms interventions that would allow individual students to compare their drinking to an appropriate reference group . Method : R and om cluster sampling was used to obtain data from 318 residence students who completed the  Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test ( AUDIT )  , a brief , reliable and valid screening measure design ed by the World Health Organisation ( Babor et al. 2001 ) . Results : The Cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.83 reported for this multicultural sample is high , suggesting that the  AUDIT  may be reliably used in this and similar context s. Normative scores are reported in the form of percentiles . Comparisons between the portions of students drinking safely and hazardously according to race and gender indicate that while male students are drinking no more hazardously than female students , white students drink far more hazardously than black students . Conclusions : These differences suggest that both race- and gender-specific norms would be essential for an effective  social norms intervention in this multicultural South African context . Finally , the racialised drinking patterns might reflect an informal segregation of social space at Rhodes University This research evaluated the efficacy of a computerized , freshmen-specific personalized normative feedback ( PNF ) intervention on reducing alcohol consumption among high-risk drinking freshmen . Students ( N=316 ; 53.8 % female ) completed measures of perceived drinking norms and drinking behavior . After completing the baseline assessment , students were r and omly assigned to receive either freshmen-specific PNF that was gender-specific or gender-neutral , or to assessment only control . Findings demonstrated that students exhibited normative misperceptions for typical freshmen drinking behavior and that perceptions of typical same-sex freshmen drinking were positively associated with riskier drinking behavior . At follow-up , students r and omly assigned to receive PNF reduced perceptions of typical freshmen drinking behavior and personal drinking behavior relative to those who did not receive PNF . Findings extend previous evaluations of computer-based PNF and suggest that computer-based PNF for incoming freshmen utilizing freshmen-specific norms that are gender-specific may constitute a promising prevention strategy A r and omized control trial was conducted at a midsized private university in the Northeast to evaluate the short-term impact of AlcoholEdu for College 8.0 , an online alcohol course for first-year students . In September 2007 , 1,620 matriculated first-year students were r and omly assigned to either a treatment group or an assessment -only control group . Both groups of students completed a baseline survey and knowledge test . Treatment group students finished the course , took a second knowledge test , and 30 days later completed a postintervention survey . Control group students completed the postintervention  survey and knowledge test during the same time period . Compared with the control group , treatment group students reported a significantly lower level of alcohol use , fewer negative drinking consequences , and less positive alcohol-related attitudes . AlcoholEdu 8.0 had a positive impact on the first-year students ' alcohol-related attitudes , behaviors , and consequences . Additional investigations of online alcohol education courses are warranted OBJECTIVE The current study is a multisite r and omized alcohol prevention trial to evaluate the efficacy of both a parenting h and book intervention and the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students ( BASICS ) intervention , alone and in combination , in reducing alcohol use and consequences among a high-risk population of matriculating college students ( i.e. , former high school athletes ) . METHOD Students ( n = 1,275 ) completed a series of Web-administered measures at baseline ( in the summer before starting college ) and follow-up ( after 10 months ) . Students were r and omized to one of four conditions : parent intervention only , BASICS only , combined ( parent and BASICS ) , and assessment -only control . Intervention efficacy was tested on a number of outcome measures , including peak blood alcohol concentration , weekly and weekend drinking , and negative consequences . Hypothesized mediators and moderators of intervention effect were tested . RESULTS The overall results revealed that the combined-intervention group had significantly lower alcohol consumption , high-risk drinking , and consequences at 10-month follow-up , compared with the control group , with changes in descriptive and injunctive peer norms mediating intervention effects . CONCLUSIONS The findings of the present study suggest that the parent intervention delivered to students before they begin college serves to enhance the efficacy of the BASICS intervention , potentially priming students to respond to the subsequent BASICS session INTRODUCTION AND AIMS Misperceptions of how members of one 's social group think and act influence behaviour . The current study was design ed to extend the research of group-specific normative feedback interventions among salient campus groups with heightened risk . Although not a r and omised controlled trial , this research used normative feedback that was obtained using wireless keypad technology during a live session , within sex-specific student athlete groups to extend the proof of concept of using this brief interactive intervention . DESIGN AND METHODS Participants included 660 intercollegiate athletes from all varsity athletic teams at two private , mid-size universities . Intervention data were gathered in vivo using computerised h and held keypads into which group members entered in personal responses to a series of alcohol-related questions . These questions assessed perceptions of normative group behaviour and attitudes as well as actual individual behaviour and attitudes . These data were then immediately presented back in graphical form to illustrate discrepancies between perceived and actual group norms . RESULTS Results revealed that at 1 month post-intervention , perceived group norms , behaviour , attitudes and consequences reduced compared with baseline . These reductions were maintained at 2 month follow up . Latent growth modelling suggested that the reductions in perceived norms and attitudes were associated with reductions in individual drinking behaviour and negative consequences . DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS These results are among the first to suggest the effectiveness of a novel , group-based normative alcohol intervention among student athletes . Limitations of the design preclude strong inferences about efficacy ; however , the findings support further trialling of such information technology in alcohol treatment research OBJECTIVES This study examined long-term response to an individual preventive intervention for high-risk college drinkers relative to the natural history of college drinking . METHODS A single-session , individualized preventive intervention was evaluated within a r and omized controlled trial with college freshmen who reported drinking heavily while in high school . An additional group r and omly selected from the entire screening pool provided a normative comparison . Participant self-report was assessed annually for 4 years . RESULTS High-risk controls showed secular trends for reduced drinking quantity and negative consequences without changes in drinking frequency . Those receiving the brief preventive intervention reported significant additional reductions , particularly with respect to negative consequences . Categorical individual change analyses show that remission is normative , and they suggest that participants receiving the brief intervention are more likely to improve and less likely to worsen regarding negative drinking consequences . CONCLUSIONS Brief individual preventive interventions for high-risk college drinkers can achieve long-term benefits even in the context of maturational trends AIM The aim of this paper was to compare the quantity and frequency of alcohol use and its associated negative consequences between two groups of college students who were identified as being " risky drinkers . " Subjects were r and omly allocated in a clinical trial to intervention or control groups . METHODS Risky drinking use was defined as Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test ( AUDIT ) > or=8 and /or Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index ( RAPI ) > or=5 problems in the previous year . Students who had undergone the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students ( BASICS ) ( N = 145 at baseline ; 142 at 12 months , and 103 at 24 months , loss of 29.7 % ) were compared with a control group ( N = 121 at baseline ; 121 at 12 months and 113 at 24 months , loss of 9.3 % ) , the nonintervention group . Variables included drinking frequency , quantity and peak consumption , dependence assessment , and family and friends ' abuse assessment . RESULTS Treated students at a 24-month follow-up decreased quantity of alcohol use per occasion and lowered AUDIT and RAPI scores . CONCLUSIONS This is the first brief intervention work on risky drinking with college students in Brazil and the results are encouraging . However , it is difficult to conduct individual prevention strategies in a country where culture fosters heavy drinking through poor public policy on alcohol and lack of law enforcement BACKGROUND It is known that brief interventions for m and ated college students decrease alcohol use and /or related problems in the short term . However , none of the existing studies has followed students ' past 6 months . Therefore , we compared the long-term efficacy of 2 brief substance use feedback interventions for m and ated college students . METHODS We followed up m and ated students ( N=348 ) who were r and omly assigned to either a  brief motivational interview ( BMI ; n=180 ) or a  written feedback-only  ( WF ; n=168 ) intervention at 4 months and 15 months postintervention . RESULTS Long-term follow-up data revealed that students , at the aggregate level , decreased their peak blood alcohol concentration ( BAC ) levels , number of drinks per week , and number of alcohol-related problems at 15 months postintervention compared with their baseline levels . With the exception of peak BAC , the observed long-term reduction was mainly due to the positive change among students who received the BMI intervention . Students in the BMI intervention showed significantly lower levels of alcohol-related problems at 15 months than those in the WF intervention . The BMI intervention more effectively reduced within-individual alcohol-related problems during the initial 4 months , and more successfully curbed the subsequent increase in alcohol use frequency and number of drinks per week during the 11 months between the 2 follow-up assessment s. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that brief substance use interventions reduce the riskiest type of alcohol use ( e.g. , peak BAC ) among m and ated college students over the long term , and that sleeper effects of in-person personal feedback interventions ( PFIs ) exist . In-person PFIs in the context of a motivational interview may be more efficacious in the long term than written feedback-only interventions for m and ated students . Future studies comparing interventions for college students should extend follow-up for longer periods of time CONTEXT The concept that assessment of a person 's health status without subsequent intervention has beneficial effects in itself has stimulated much interest in underlying psychological mechanisms , method ological implication s and its public health potential . There have , however , been few experimental studies of assessment effects . AIM To test the hypothesis that assessment in itself produces a reduction in hazardous drinking . DESIGN AND SETTING Two conditions ( group A , leaflet only and group B , leaflet and assessment but no intervention ) of a four-arm r and omized controlled trial with enrollment in March-April 2003 . PARTICIPANTS A total of 975 students ( 17 - 29 years ) attending a primary health-care clinic completed a web-based Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test ( AUDIT ) question naire . Of 599 who scored > or= 8576 consented to follow-up and were included in the full four-arm trial , of whom 293 ( 153 women ) were assigned to groups A and B. INTERVENTION Group A received an information leaflet at baseline . Group B received the information leaflet and 10 minutes of web-based assessment 4 weeks later . MEASUREMENTS Drinking frequency , typical quantity , heavy episode frequency , personal problems and academic problems . FINDINGS Baseline mean AUDIT scores were 15.0 ( SD = 5.4 ) and 14.9 ( SD = 5.0 ) in groups A and B , respectively . Twelve months after baseline , relative to group A , group B reported lower overall consumption ( geometric means ratio 0.82 , 95 % CI : 0.68 - 0.98 ) , fewer heavy drinking episodes ( 0.66 , 0.47 - 0.91 ) , fewer problems ( 0.81 , 0.67 - 0.99 ) and lower AUDIT scores ( beta = -1.63 , -0.62 to -2.65 ) . CONCLUSIONS Brief assessment appeared to reduce hazardous drinking . Controlled trials that rely on assessment may therefore underestimate treatment effects . Limitations include the possibility of measurement artefact due to social desirability bias This study evaluated the efficacy of an alcohol web-based personalized feedback program delivered in the workplace to young adults . Participants ( N = 124 ) were r and omly assigned to one of three conditions : web-based feedback ( WI ) , web-based feedback plus a 15-minute motivational interviewing session ( MI ) , or a control group . Results indicated that participants in the intervention group ( WI and MI conditions combined ) reported significantly lower levels of drinking than those in the control group at a 30-day follow-up . This was particularly true for participants classified as high-risk drinkers at the baseline assessment . Similar results were found when comparing the WI condition to the control group . No differences were found between the WI and MI conditions , indicating that the addition of a 15-minute motivational interviewing session did not increase the efficacy of the web-based feedback program . Findings support the use of web-based feedback as a st and -alone alcohol prevention program for young adults in the workplace Social-norms approaches to alcohol prevention are based on consistent findings that most students overestimate the prevalence of drinking among their peers . Most interventions have been developed for heavy-drinking students , and the applicability of social-norms approaches among abstaining or light-drinking students has yet to be evaluated . The present research aim ed to evaluate the impact of two types of online social-norms interventions developed for abstaining or light-drinking students . Identification with other students was evaluated as a moderator . Participants included 423 freshmen and sophomore college students who reported never or rarely drinking at screening . Students were r and omly assigned to one of three conditions : ( a ) personalized-norms feedback , ( b ) social-norms marketing ads , or ( c ) attention control . Data were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models . Results provided some support for both interventions but were stronger for social-norms marketing ads , particularly among participants who identified more closely with other students The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of two brief interventions and the inclusion of a 1-month booster session with college students who were referred to attend alcohol education following an alcohol-related incident . Participants ( N=225 ; 48.9 % male ) were r and omly assigned to receive one session of a Brief Motivational Interview ( BMI ) or computer-delivered intervention ( CDI ) with the Alcohol 101 CD-ROM . Participants were also r and omly assigned to booster/no booster . At 3-month follow up , participants in BMI reported greater help seeking and use of behavioral strategies to moderate drinking . At 12-month follow up , BMI participants were drinking more frequently and CDI participants were consuming a greater number of drinks per occasion than at baseline . Mediation analyses showed that the use of specific behavioral strategies mediated the effect of the BMI condition on drinking volume . There was no intervention effect on alcohol problems , and the booster condition did not significantly affect outcomes . Promoting specific behaviors in the context of in-person brief interventions may be a promising approach to reducing drinking volume among identified at-risk students In this pilot study , the authors evaluated whether incorporating a peer in a brief motivational intervention would lead to significant reductions in alcohol use and problems in students m and ated to receive treatment after violating campus alcohol policy . Thirty-six participant-peer dyads ( 66 % male ) were r and omly assigned to receive either two 45-min sessions of an individual motivational intervention ( IMI , n = 18 ) or a peer-enhanced motivational intervention ( PMI , n = 18 ) . The IMI included exploration of motivation to change alcohol use , perceived positive and negative effects of drinking , personalized feedback , and goals for changing alcohol consumption and related behaviors . The PMI included all elements of the IMI plus the presence of a supportive peer of the participant during both sessions . Although both groups significantly reduced number of drinking days and heavy drinking days at 1-month follow-up , the magnitude of within-group reductions in alcohol use and problems was 3 times larger on average for the PMI group than for the IMI group , based on effect-size calculations . Peers and participants endorsed high satisfaction ratings on the PMI . Findings indicate the promise of including peers in brief motivational interventions for m and ated students Objective : To evaluate the influence of oxalic acid ( OA ) on nonhaem iron absorption in humans . Design : Two r and omized crossover stable iron isotope absorption studies . Setting : Zurich , Switzerl and .Subjects : Sixteen apparently healthy women ( 18–45 years , < 60 kg body weight ) , recruited by poster advertizing from the staff and student population s of the ETH , University and University Hospital of Zurich , Switzerl and . Thirteen subjects completed both studies . Methods : Iron absorption was measured based on erythrocyte incorporation of 57Fe or 58Fe 14 days after the administration of labelled meals . In study I , test meals consisted of two wheat bread rolls ( 100 g ) and either 150 g spinach with a native OA content of 1.27 g ( reference meal ) or 150 g kale with a native OA content of 0.01 g. In study II , 150 g kale given with a potassium oxalate drink to obtain a total OA content of 1.27 g was compared to the spinach meal . Results : After normalization for the spinach reference meal absorption , geometric mean iron absorption from wheat bread rolls with kale ( 10.7 % ) did not differ significantly from wheat rolls with kale plus 1.26 g OA added as potassium oxalate ( 11.5 % , P=0.86 ) . Spinach was significantly higher in calcium and polyphenols than kale and absorption from the spinach meal was 24 % lower compared to the kale meal without added OA , but the difference did not reach statistical significance ( P>0.16 ) . Conclusion : Potassium oxalate did not influence iron absorption in humans from a kale meal and our findings strongly suggest that OA in fruits and vegetables is of minor relevance in iron nutrition Encouraging but limited research indicates that brief motivational interventions may be an effective way to reduce heavy episodic drinking in college students . At 2 campuses , students ( 83 % male ) m and ated to a substance use prevention program  were r and omly assigned to 1 of 2 individually administered conditions : ( a ) a brief motivational interview ( BMI ; n = 34 ) or ( b ) an alcohol education session ( AE ; n = 30 ) . Students in the BMI condition reported fewer alcohol-related problems than the AE students at 3- and 6-month assessment s. Trends toward reductions in number of binge drinking episodes and typical blood alcohol levels were seen in both groups . Process measures confirmed the integrity of both interventions . The findings demonstrate that m and ated BMI s can reduce alcohol problems in students referred for alcohol violations INTRODUCTION AND AIMS Despite growing evidence of the efficacy of electronic screening and brief interventions for reducing unhealthy alcohol use , there is no published work describing the development of such interventions . We describe the process of developing and implementing an electronic screening and brief intervention in a large university population . DESIGN AND METHODS Thematic analysis of seven focus groups , involving a total of 69 students , informed the content and design of THRIVE ( Tertiary Health Research Intervention Via Email ) . Pilot testing was conducted through usability analysis with a further 16 students . A r and om sample of 13,000 undergraduates was invited to complete screening and hazardous drinkers were r and omised to receive Web-based assessment and feedback or screening alone . Participants ' use of THRIVE was examined through server log analysis and responses to questions on instrument design /usability during follow-up assessment 6 months later . RESULTS A total of 7237 students ( 56 % of those invited ) completed screening ; 2435 ( 34 % ) screened positive for unhealthy drinking ; 1251 were r and omly assigned to receive the intervention ; and 1184 served as controls . In total , 99 % of participants found THRIVE easy to complete , 76 % said it provided personally relevant information and 55 % said they would recommend it to a friend with a drinking problem . Thirty per cent sought additional information on support services through the site . DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Key design elements include ease of access ( e.g. via an emailed hyperlink ) , length ( < 10 min ) , clear , non-judgmental language , personalised normative feedback and links to appropriate services . The study demonstrates the potential reach of a carefully implemented intervention in a high-risk , non-treatment-seeking population group Brief alcohol interventions often involve recommendations to use drinking control strategies . However , little is known about the functional effect of these strategies on alcohol use . This prospect i ve study employed an experimental design to evaluate the relationship between strategy use and alcohol consumption . The differential effects of instructions to increase the use of strategies or to reduce alcohol consumption were compared to self-monitoring ( SM ) only .  Undergraduate drinkers were r and omized into 3 conditions : SM plus strategy increase ( SI ; n = 61 ) , SM plus alcohol reduction ( AR ; n = 60 ) , and SM control ( SM ; n = 56 ) . Participants in the AR group reduced their alcohol use over 2 weeks , while those in the SI group did not drink less . Participants in the SI group increased strategy use over time , whereas the AR group increased use of some strategies but not others . These results indicate that increasing use of drinking control strategies does not necessarily result in reduced drinking . Furthermore , all strategies are not equal in their association with alcohol consumption ; if the goal is alcohol reduction , type of strategy recommended may be important OBJECTIVE Evaluations of social norms marketing campaigns to reduce college student drinking have produced conflicting results . This study examines whether the effectiveness of such campaigns may be moderated by on-premise alcohol outlet density in the surrounding community . METHOD Multilevel analyses were conducted of student survey responses ( N= 19,838 ) from 32 U.S. colleges that took part in one of two 4-year r and omized , controlled trials completed for the Social Norms Marketing Research Project ( SNMRP ) . In the models , students by year were nested within  treatment ( n = 16 ) and control group ( n = 16 ) campuses , which were characterized by the on-premise outlet density in their surrounding community . The moderating effect of outlet density was introduced into the models as an interaction between the treatment effect ( i.e. , the effect of the social norms marketing campaigns over time ) and outlet density . The models were also stratified by campus alcohol outlet density ( high vs. low ) to examine the effect of the intervention in each type of setting . RESULTS There was a significant interaction between the treatment effect and on-premise alcohol outlet density for one of the drinking outcomes targeted by the SNMRP intervention , the number of drinks when partying , and marginal evidence of interaction effects for two other outcomes , maximum recent consumption and a composite drinking scale . In stratified analyses , an intervention effect was observed for three of the four outcomes among students from campuses with lower on-premise alcohol outlet density , whereas no intervention effect was observed among students from campuses with higher on-premise alcohol outlet density . CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that the campus alcohol environment moderates the effect of social norms marketing interventions . Social norms marketing intervention may be less effective on campuses with higher densities of on-sale alcohol outlets OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of brief physician advice in reducing alcohol use and related harm in college students . METHOD The College Health Intervention Projects ( CHIPs ) is a r and omized , controlled clinical trial with 12-month follow-up conducted in five college health clinics in Wisconsin ; Washington state ; and Vancouver , Canada . Of the 12,900 students screened for high-risk drinking , 484 men and 502 women met inclusion criteria and were r and omized into a  control  ( n = 493 ) or intervention ( n = 493 ) group . Ninety-six percent of students participated in the follow-up procedures . The intervention consisted of two 15-minute counseling visits and two follow-up phone calls , and used motivational interviewing , contracting , diary cards , and take-home exercises . RESULTS No significant differences were found between groups at baseline on alcohol use , age , socioeconomic or smoking status , rates of depression , or measures of alcohol-related harm . At 12 months , the experimental subjects reduced their 28-day drinking totals by 27.2 % , and the control group reduced their totals by 21 % . A mixed effects repeated measures model found a statistical difference in favor of the brief-intervention group ( beta = 4.7 , SE = 2.0 , p = .018 ) in 28-day drinking totals . The total Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index score was also significantly different during the 12-month follow-up period ( beta = 0.8 , SE = 0.4 , p = .033 ) . There was no difference on the other outcome measures of interest , such as frequency of excessive heavy drinking , health care utilization , injuries , drunk driving , depression , or tobacco use . CONCLUSIONS The study supports re source allocation and implementation of alcohol screening and brief physician advice in primary care-based college health clinics Efforts to reduce the frequency of high-risk drinking have included the use of motivational interventions . Both the technique used in motivational interventions and an underlying theory of behavior change ( i.e. , self-regulation theory ) invoke the construct of discrepancy development . This study was design ed to determine whether techniques purported to develop discrepancy actually do so and to compare methods of developing discrepancy on indices of intention to reduce alcohol use . Male and female college drinkers ( N=92 ) were selected if they reported two or more binge episodes in the last month , or scored 4 or higher on the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index ( RAPI ) . Participants were r and omly assigned by gender to three conditions all conducted in a small group format : attention-control , personalized normative feedback ( PNF ) , and personal strivings assessment ( PSA ) . Personalized normative feedback was design ed to develop discrepancy based on behavioral comparisons of self and others . Personal strivings assessment was design ed to develop discrepancy between current and ideal self . It was hypothesized that participants who engage in discrepancy building activities would experience discrepancy specific to the activity in which they engaged , and that all participants who developed discrepancy would show higher levels of intention to reduce alcohol use . Results indicated that only the personalized normative feedback increased discrepancy and intention to reduce alcohol use In this r and omized controlled trial , the authors evaluated brief motivational interventions ( BMI s ) for at-risk college drinkers . Heavy drinking students ( N = 509 ; 65 % women , 35 % men ) were r and omized into 1 of 6 intervention conditions formed by crossing the baseline Timeline Followback ( TLFB ) interview ( present versus absent ) and intervention type ( basic BMI , BMI enhanced with a decisional balance module , or none ) . Assessment s completed at baseline , 1 , 6 , and 12 months measured typical and risky drinking as well as drinking-related problems . Relative to controls , the TLFB interview  reduced consumption but not problems at 1 month . The basic BMI improved all drinking outcomes beyond the effects of the TLFB interview at 1 month , whereas the enhanced BMI did not . Risk reduction achieved by brief interventions maintained throughout the follow-up year AIMS Previous research has suggested that alcohol screening and assessment may affect drinking . DESIGN This study was a r and omized test of reactivity to alcohol assessment question naires among a group of heavy drinking college students . SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS A total of 147 university students completed a screening question naire and were r and omized to either immediate assessment or delayed assessment . The immediate assessment group completed a set of drinking question naires at baseline , 3 , 6 and 12 months , while the delayed assessment group completed question naires only at 12 months . MEASUREMENTS Primary outcomes included overall volume of drinking , risky drinking and use of risk reduction behaviors . FINDINGS We found a significant effect of assessment on measures of risky drinking and risk reduction behaviors , but not on overall volume of drinking . Specifically , at 12 months , participants who had previously completed drinking assessment s had a lower peak blood alcohol concentration ( BAC ) ( d = -0.373 ) , were more likely to report a low score on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test ( AUDIT ; odds ratio = 2.55 ) and tended to use more strategies to moderate their alcohol consumption ( d = 0.352 ) . Risk reduction behaviors that were affected tended to be those that limited alcohol consumption , rather than those that minimized consequences . CONCLUSIONS These results may have implication s for the development of brief interventions OBJECTIVE This research evaluated a brief mailed intervention for alcohol use as an adjunct to a brief treatment for college students with depression symptoms . The intervention aim ed to correct normative misperceptions and reduce students ' drinking and related consequences . METHOD One hundred seventy seven college students ( 70 % Female ) with elevated scores on the Beck Depression Inventory were r and omly assigned to intervention or control group . Participants in the intervention were mailed feedback and information detailing their reported alcohol use , moderation strategies , and accurate normative information regarding student drinking . RESULTS Results indicated no main effects of the intervention on drinking or related problems but students receiving feedback showed significant reductions in their perception of drinking norms compared to the control group . Furthermore , students whose normative perceptions reduced showed significant reductions in total drinks per week and total alcohol related problems compared to those whose norms did not reduce . CONCLUSIONS Results support the importance of correcting normative perceptions and provide direction for selective prevention of alcohol use and related problems among college students with depressed mood AIMS College students who violate alcohol policies are often m and ated to participate in alcohol-related interventions . This study investigated ( i ) whether such interventions reduced drinking beyond the sanction alone , ( ii ) whether a brief motivational intervention ( BMI ) was more efficacious than two computer-delivered interventions ( CDIs ) and ( iii ) whether intervention response differed by gender . DESIGN R and omized controlled trial with four conditions [ brief motivation interventions ( BMI ) , Alcohol 101 Plus ™ , Alcohol Edu for Sanctions ( ® ) , delayed control ] and four assessment s ( baseline , 1 , 6 and 12 months ) . SETTING Private residential university in the United States . PARTICIPANTS Students ( n = 677 ; 64 % male ) who had violated campus alcohol policies and were sanctioned to participate in a risk reduction program .  MEASUREMENTS Consumption ( drinks per heaviest and typical week , heavy drinking frequency , peak and typical blood alcohol concentration ) , alcohol problems and recidivism . FINDINGS Piecewise latent growth models characterized short-term ( 1-month ) and longer-term ( 1 - 12 months ) change . Female but not male students reduced drinking and problems in the control condition . Males reduced drinking and problems after all interventions relative to control , but did not maintain these gains . Females reduced drinking to a greater extent after a BMI than after either CDI , and maintained reductions relative to baseline across the follow-up year . No differences in recidivism were found . CONCLUSIONS Male and female students responded differently to sanctions for alcohol violations and to risk reduction interventions . BMI s optimized outcomes for both genders . Male students improved after all interventions , but female students improved less after CDIs than after BMI . Intervention effects decayed over time , especially for males OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of personalized normative feedback ( PNF ) on college student alcohol-related risky sexual behavior ( RSB ) .  METHOD In a r and omized controlled trial , 480 ( 57.6 % female ) sexually active college students were stratified by gender and level of drinking and r and omly assigned to an alcohol-only intervention , an alcohol-related RSB-only intervention , a combined alcohol and alcohol-related RSB intervention , or control . All assessment and intervention procedures were Web-based . RESULTS Results indicated a significant reduction in drinking outcomes for the alcohol only and the combined alcohol and alcohol-related RSB interventions relative to control . Findings further demonstrated a significant reduction in alcohol-related RSB outcomes for the alcohol-related RSB only and the combined alcohol and alcohol-related RSB interventions relative to control . There were no significant intervention effects on alcohol-related negative consequences . These findings demonstrate that the combined alcohol and alcohol-related RSB intervention was the only intervention successful at reducing both drinking and alcohol-related RSB outcomes relative to control . There were no significant differences when comparing the combined alcohol and alcohol-related RSB intervention to the alcohol-only intervention or the alcohol-related RSB-only intervention . Finally , results suggested that the intervention effects on high-risk behaviors were mediated by reductions in descriptive normative perceptions . CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate that PNF specific to drinking in sexual situations was needed to reduce alcohol-related RSB . Furthermore , this study highlights the potential utility of a brief intervention that can be delivered via the Internet to reduce high-risk drinking and alcohol-related RSB among college students BACKGROUND Internet-based alcohol misuse prevention programs are now used by many universities . One popular 2- to 3-hour online course known as AlcoholEdu for College is typically required for all incoming freshmen and thus constitutes a campus-level strategy to reduce  student alcohol misuse . PURPOSE Multi-campus study to evaluate the effectiveness of an Internet-based alcohol misuse prevention course . DESIGN RCT with 30 universities : 21 entered the study in Fall 2007 , nine in Fall 2008 . Fifteen were r and omly assigned to receive the online course and the other 15 were assigned to the control condition .  The course was implemented by intervention schools during the late summer and /or fall semester . Cross-sectional surveys of freshmen were conducted at each university , beginning prior to the intervention in Spring 2008 - 2009 ; post-intervention surveys were administered in Fall 2008 - 2009 and Spring 2009 - 2010 . SETTING / PARTICIPANTS Public and private universities of varying sizes across the U.S. R and om sample s of 200 freshmen per campus were invited to participate in online surveys  for the evaluation . Overall survey response rates ranged from 44 % to 48 % ( M ≈ 90 participants per campus ) . INTERVENTION The online course includes five modules ; the first four ( Part I ) are typically offered in the late summer before matriculation , and the fifth ( Part II ) in early fall . Course content includes defining a st and ard drink , physiologic effects of alcohol , the need to monitor blood alcohol level , social influences on alcohol use , alcohol laws , personalized normative feedback , and alcohol harm-reduction strategies . Students must pass an exam after Part I to advance to Part II . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Past-30-day alcohol use , average number of drinks per occasion , and binge drinking . RESULTS Multilevel intent-to-treat analyses indicated significant reductions in the frequency of past-30-day alcohol use ( beta = -0.64 , p<0.05 ) and binge drinking ( beta = -0.26 , p<0.05 ) during the fall semester immediately after completion of the course . However , these effects did not persist when assessed in the spring semester . Post hoc comparisons suggested stronger course effects on these outcomes at colleges with higher rates of student course completion . No course effects were observed for average number of drinks per occasion or prevalence of binge drinking , regardless of the campus course completion rate . CONCLUSIONS This study provides initial evidence that the Internet-based alcohol misuse prevention course has beneficial short-term effects on hazardous drinking behavior among first-year college students , which should be reinforced through effective environmental prevention strategies INTRODUCTION AND AIMS University students usually overestimate peer alcohol use , result ing in them ' drinking up ' to perceived norms . Social norms theory suggests correcting these inflated perceptions can reduce alcohol consumption . Recent findings by the current authors show portraying oneself as ' a drinker ' is considered by many students to be a socially desirable component of their Facebook identity , perpetuating an online culture that normalises binge drinking . However , social networking sites have yet to be utilised in social norms interventions . DESIGN AND METHODS Actual and perceived descriptive and injunctive drinking norms were collected from 244 university students . Ninety-five students screened positive for hazardous drinking and were r and omly allocated to a control group or intervention group that received social norms feedback via personalised Facebook private messages over three sessions . RESULTS At 1 month post-intervention , the quantity and frequency of alcohol consumed by intervention group during the previous month had significantly reduced compared with baseline and controls . Reductions were maintained 3 months post-intervention . Intervention group perceived drinking norms were significantly more accurate post-intervention . DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to test the feasibility of using Facebook to deliver social norms interventions . Correcting misperceptions of peer drinking norms result ed in clinical ly significant reductions in alcohol use . Facebook has many advantages over traditional social norms delivery , providing an innovative method for tackling problem drinking at university . These results have implication s for the use of Facebook to deliver positive messages about safe alcohol use to students , which may counter the negative messages regarding alcohol normally seen on Facebook AIMS The direct effects of screening on drinking behaviour have not previously been evaluated experimentally . We tested whether screening reduces self-reported hazardous drinking in comparison with a non-screened control group . DESIGN Two-arm r and omized controlled trial ( RCT ) , with both groups blinded to the true nature of the study . SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS A total of 421 university students aged 18 - 24 years , recruited in five London student unions . INTERVENTIONS Both groups completed a brief pen- and -paper general health and socio-demographic question naire , which for the experimental group also included the 10-item Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test ( AUDIT ) screening question naire . MEASUREMENTS The primary outcome was the between-group difference in AUDIT score at 2 - 3-month follow-up . Eight secondary outcomes comprised other aspects of hazardous drinking , including dedicated measures of alcohol consumption , problems and dependence . FINDINGS A statistically significant effect size of 0.23 ( 0.01 - 0.45 ) was detected on the design ated primary outcome . The marginal nature of the statistical significance of this effect was apparent in additional analyses with covariates . Statistically significant differences were also obtained in three of eight secondary outcomes , and the observed effect sizes were not dissimilar to the known effects of brief interventions . CONCLUSIONS It is unclear to what extent these findings represent the effects of screening alone , a Hawthorne effect in which drinking behaviour has changed in response to monitoring , or whether they indicate reporting bias . These possibilities have important implication s both for the dissemination of screening as an intervention in its own right and for behavioural intervention trials methodology AIM To test the effectiveness of motivational interviewing ( MI ) in comparison with drug information and advice in opportunistically securing reductions in drug-related risk among young cannabis users not seeking help . DESIGN R and omized controlled trial . SETTING Eleven London Further Education colleges . PARTICIPANTS A total of 326 students aged 16 - 19 years who smoked cannabis weekly or more frequently . INTERVENTIONS Participants were r and omized to a single-session intervention of MI or drug information and advice-giving . MEASUREMENTS Cannabis use , cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption and harm outcomes were assessed after both 3 and 6 months . FINDINGS No differences were found between MI and drug information and advice , although MI fidelity was not high . There were wide-ranging individual practitioner effects on observed outcomes and a practitioner-intervention interaction was detected in relation to cannabis cessation after 3 months . Change over time was more pronounced for cannabis use than for other drug use . CONCLUSIONS Further study of the nature and consequences of MI fidelity , and individual practitioner effects more generally , is needed . Advice may be an effective brief intervention with young cannabis users in its own right and should be evaluated further in trials AIMS Although readiness to change ( RTC ) is cited as a key mechanism underlying drinking behavior change , empirical evidence supporting RTC as a predictor of college drinking has been mixed . Considering method ological limitations of previous studies , the current aim was to conduct a more comprehensive test of longitudinal relationships between readiness to change and  college drinking .  DESIGN In this correlational , longitudinal study , we used a series of cross-lagged path analyses to test associations between RTC and college drinking outcomes over a 2-year period . SETTING Data collection was conducted via online surveys on a university campus in the US Pacific Northwest . PARTICIPANTS Participants ( n = 818 ; 58 % women ) were college students who reported at least one heavy-drinking episode in the past month and participated in a r and omized controlled trial of personalized normative feedback interventions .  MEASUREMENTS Drinking quantity-frequency items and the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index assessed drinking outcomes . The  Readiness to Change  Question naire assessed RTC . FINDINGS For drinking-related problems , the best-fitting model included cross-lagged paths between RTC and subsequent drinking-related problems . For drinking quantity-frequency , best-fitting models also included the cross-lagged paths between drinking quantity-frequency and subsequent RTC . Higher RTC almost uniformly predicted higher subsequent levels of drinking and greater experience of drinking-related problems , and drinking quantity-frequency variables were primarily positive predictors of subsequent RTC . CONCLUSIONS Contrary to previous assumptions , ' the Readiness to Change Question naire ' does not appear to be predictive of lower levels of subsequent drinking Brief motivational interventions ( BMI s ) have been found to be efficacious for reducing alcohol use and consequences among college student drinkers . Despite the putative emphasis on motivation , surprisingly little is known about the role of motivation in BMI -facilitated changes . Using data from three published r and omized trials implementing BMI s , we examined  motivation or readiness to change ( RTC ) as a potential mechanism of behavior change . Two of the three studies indicated that BMI were associated with increases in motivation to change alcohol use that are apparent immediately after BMI sessions and persist up to 6-months post-intervention . However , RTC does not appear to be a mechanism of behavior change , as it did not mediate reductions in alcohol use or problems in any of the studies . Issues regarding the conceptualization and measurement of RTC are discussed , as well as promising directions for future research College students are an at-risk population based on their heavy alcohol consumption and associated consequences . First-year students are at particular risk due to greater freedom and access to alcohol on campus . Web-based ( electronic ) interventions ( e- interventions ) are being rapidly adopted as a universal approach to prevent high-risk drinking , but have not been well evaluated . The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the two most widely adopted EIs , AlcoholEdu and The Alcohol eCHECKUP TO GO ( e-Chug ) , in reducing both alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences in incoming college students . To do so , we conducted a 3-group r and omized trial ( N=82 ) comparing AlcoholEdu and e-Chug to an assessment -only control group . Compared to the assessment -only control group , participants in the AlcoholEdu and e-Chug groups reported lower levels of alcohol use across multiple measures at 1-month follow-up . Participants who received AlcoholEdu showed significantly fewer lower alcohol-related consequences than assessment -only controls , while there was a trend for reduced consequences in participants who received e-Chug versus assessment -only . Findings indicate that e-intervention is a promising prevention approach to address the problem of college student  alcohol consumption , especially for campuses that have limited re sources BACKGROUND The limited number of electronic screening and brief intervention ( e-SBI ) projects taking place in young adult student population s has left knowledge gaps about the specific methods needed to motivate reduced drinking . The aim of the present study was to compare differences in alcohol consumption over time after a series of e-SBIs was conducted with two groups of young adult students who were considered risky drinkers . The intervention group ( IG ) ( n=80 ) received extensive normative feedback ; the control group ( CG ) ( n=78 ) received very brief feedback consisting of only three statements . METHOD An e-SBI project was conducted in naturalistic setting s among young adult students at a Swedish university . This study used a r and omized controlled trial design , with respondents having an equal chance of being assigned to either the IG or the CG . The study assessed changes comparing the IG with the CG on four alcohol-related measurements : proportion with risky alcohol consumption , average weekly alcohol consumption , frequency of heavy episodic drinking ( HED ) and peak blood alcohol concentration ( BAC ) . Follow-up was performed at 3 and 6 months after baseline . RESULTS The study documented a significant decrease in the average weekly consumption for the IG over time but not for the CG , although the differences between the groups were non-significant . The study also found that there were significant decreases in HED over time within both groups ; the differences were about equal in both groups at the 6-month follow-up . The proportion of risky drinkers decreased by about a third in both the CG and IG at the 3- and 6-month follow-ups . CONCLUSIONS As the differences between the groups at 6 months for all alcohol-related outcome variables were not significant , the shorter , generic brief intervention appears to be as effective as the longer one including normative feedback . However , further studies in similar naturalistic setting s are warranted with delayed assessment groups as controls in order to increase our underst and ing of reactivity assessment in email-based interventions among students OBJECTIVE This study examined whether 3-month outcomes of a brief image-based multiple behavior intervention on health habits and health-related quality of life of college students were sustained at 12-month follow-up without further intervention . METHODS A r and omized control trial was conducted with 303 undergraduates attending a public university in southeastern US . Participants were r and omized to receive either a brief intervention or usual care control , with baseline , 3-month , and 12-month data collected during fall of 2007 . RESULTS A significant omnibus MANOVA interaction effect was found for health-related quality of life , p=0.01 , with univariate interaction effects showing fewer days of poor spiritual health , social health , and restricted recent activity , p's<0.05 , for those receiving the brief intervention . Significant group by time interaction effects were found for driving after drinking , p=0.04 , and moderate exercise , p=0.04 , in favor of the brief intervention . Effect sizes typically increased over time and were small except for moderate size effects for social health-related quality of life . CONCLUSION This study found that 3-month outcomes from a brief image-based multiple behavior intervention for college students were partially sustained at 12-month follow-up Importance of peer counselor posttraining supervision on motivational interviewing ( MI ) microskills and postintervention drinking outcomes were evaluated in a sample of heavy-drinking undergraduate students completing Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students ( BASICS ; L.A. Dimeff , J.S. Baer , D.R. Kivlahan , & G.A. Marlatt , 1999 ) . Two peer counselor groups were trained using identical protocol s. Posttraining , one group was r and omized to receive supervision , whereas the other received no supervision . Groups were subsequently compared on MI microskills . College students ( n = 122 ) were r and omly assigned to either assessment -only control , supervision , or no supervision groups and completed a BASICS intervention . Postintervention drinking outcomes were examined . Results suggested supervision aided peer counselors in reducing use of closed-ended questions . Both treatment groups reduced total drinks per week and heavy-drinking behaviors compared to control . No differences on peak blood alcohol concentration ( BAC ) or alcohol-related consequences were observed . Differences in supervision did not influence drinking outcomes ; however , posttraining supervision for peer counselors deficient in MI microskills may be needed to improve BASICS fidelity This research was design ed to evaluate a personalized normative feedback birthday card intervention aim ed at reducing normative perceptions , alcohol consumption , and negative consequences associated with 21st birthday celebrations among college students ( N=281 ; 59.15 % women ) . Students were r and omly assigned to receive or not receive a birthday card about 1 week prior to their 21st birthday . Approximately 1 week following their birthday , students were asked to complete a brief survey concerning their birthday celebration activities . Findings indicated that the birthday card intervention was not successful at reducing drinking or consequences ; however , the card did reduce normative misperceptions . Additional findings indicated that many students experienced negative consequences , such as passing out or driving after consuming alcohol . Combined , these findings suggest that prevention is needed for drinking associated with turning 21 . However , prevention efforts should consist of more than a birthday card
BACKGROUND Drinking is influenced by youth perceptions of how their peers drink .
These perceptions are often incorrect , overestimating peer drinking norms .
If inaccurate perceptions can be corrected , young people may drink less .
OBJECTIVES To determine whether social norms interventions reduce alcohol-related negative consequences , alcohol misuse or alcohol consumption when compared with a control ( ranging from assessment only/no intervention to other educational or psychosocial interventions ) among university and college students .