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Guide
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Event-Specific Prevention
OVERVIEW
Event-Specific Prevention is a web-based intervention designed to reduce drinking and increase use of protective strategies on college students’ 21st birthdays. An evaluation found a positive impact on BAC, number of drinks consumed, and perceived 21st birthday norms, but there was no impact on use of protective strategies.
DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM
Target population: college student who are about to have their 21st birthday
Event-Specific Prevention is an intervention that occurs two days before an individual’s 21st birthday. It consists of web-based feedback that is personalized based on an online assessment taken earlier as a screening. The personalized feedback is based on Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) and focuses on drinking intentions, BAC information, normative information, and protective behavior strategies. Participants are told that the goal is to give them information that will help them be safe on the 21st birthday, and not to convince them not to drink. Participants receive a personalized BAC chart based on their gender and weight, graphic feedback on perceived and actual 21st birthday norms, and a list of protective behavior strategies.
EVALUATION OF PROGRAM
Evaluated population: 295 college students at a large public northwestern university who intended to consume two or more drinks on their 21st birthdays were evaluated. The sample was 42 percent male, 61 percent white, 24 percent Asian, 2 percent African American, 1 percent Native American, less than 1 percent Pacific Islander, and 11 percent other.
Approach: Students approaching their 21st birthdays were invited to participate in the study and were asked to complete an online assessment that served as a screener. Those who reported in the assessment that they intended to consume at least two drinks on their 21st birthdays were matched based on the maximum number of drinks they intended to consume and then randomly assigned to the intervention or control conditions. Those assigned to the intervention received an email two days before their 21st birthdays with a link to the personalized feedback. All subjects were asked to complete an online post-survey four days after their 21st birthdays. The outcomes examined were perceived 21st birthday norms and BAC, number of drinks consumed, and use of protective strategies on the 21st birthday.
Results: Positive impacts were found for BAC and number of drinks consumed on the 21st birthday and perceived 21st birthday norms. There was no impact on use of protective strategies.
SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION
References
Neighbors, C., Lee, C.M., Lewis, M.A., Fossos, N., & Walter, T. (2009). Internet-based personalized feedback to reduce 21st-birthday drinking: A randomized controlled trial of an event-specific prevention intervention. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 77, 51-63.
Contact Information
Clayton Neighbors
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Box 354944
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195
KEYWORDS: Young Adults (18-24), College, Males and Females (Co-ed), Computer-based, Alcohol Use
Program information last updated on 6/2/11.
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© Child Trends 2003 |