![Sample our Health and Social Care journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5938/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Health-Social-Care.jpg"})
Abstract
Problems associated with alcohol use are well-documented among traditional 4-year college students, but less is known about community college students' alcohol use. The few published articles that have investigated alcohol consumption among community college students suggest that risky alcohol consumption is a concern. Online alcohol-related risk reduction programs may be well-suited to community college campuses, due to reduced cost and labour effort, as well as increased accessibility for students. The aim of the current study was to test the efficacy of an online intervention designed to reduce risks associated with alcohol use among community college students. Three hundred and nineteen community college students were randomised to one of two treatment conditions: reviewing the online alcohol-related risk reduction program or reviewing online educational newsletters. Generalised linear mixed models were conducted, testing for mean differences between conditions over time on each outcome (primary analyses: alcohol and other drug use, protective behaviours and consequences of substance use). Exploratory analyses for moderating effects of covariates and user engagement were also conducted. Twelve months after the intervention, students who reviewed the online intervention reported a reduction in the maximum number of drinks consumed on one occasion within the past week and a greater reduction in total drinks consumed within the past week, as compared to students who received educational e-newsletters. Online alcohol-related risk reduction programs for students beginning community college may offer a practical and effective way to reduce alcohol consumption, and may have the potential to increase the wellbeing of a largely underserved population.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Ellen Patterson and Aviva Schwartz for their assistance in developing the intervention. The authors would also like to thank the community college staff and students for their involvement in the field trial.
Declaration of interest
Funding for this study was provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Grant 2R44DA027190-02. NIDA had no role in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript or the decision to submit the paper for publication. Authors Donovan, DasMahapatra and Chiauzzi used to be employed at Inflexxion, Inc. where the intervention program was developed. Authors Green, McHugh and Hemm still work at Inflexxion. The MyStudentBody program is no longer owned by Inflexxion.