An evaluation of a video-based intervention targeting alcohol consumption during aquatic activities

ABSTRACT

Objective

Alcohol consumption and being male are drowning risk factors. Changing beliefs and intentions to undertake risky aquatic-related behaviours, such as consuming alcohol, is key to reducing loss of life and injury. We evaluated the impact of a video encouraging change in young males’ social cognitions and intentions to discourage their mates as well as their own alcohol consumption around the water.

Method

A three-wave non-controlled pre-test-post-test design was adopted. A convenience sample of Australian males aged 18–34 years (N = 97) who self-reported drinking alcohol and engaging in aquatic activities was recruited. Participants were surveyed at baseline (T1) regarding social cognition constructs and intentions, immediately after viewing the video (T2) and at a one-month follow-up (T3).

Results

Repeated measures ANOVAs revealed significant main effects of time on intentions, subjective norms, and attitudes regarding discouraging mates from drinking and swimming, but no significant main effects of time on perceived behavioural control or risk perceptions. The same patterns of effects were observed regarding drinking and swimming on males’ own behaviour.

Conclusions

The video has the potential to influence young males’ social cognitions regarding their mates’ and their own risky drinking behaviour around water in the short term, although sustained interventions are required. Messaging delivered on-site at popular aquatic locations in the lead-up to traditionally risky periods for alcohol-related drowning should be considered. Provision of strategies to combat social pressures among young males to act on their intentions to engage in drinking and swimming are needed.

KEY POINTS

What is already known about this topic:

• (1) Drowning is a significant cause of injury-related mortality and morbidity.

• (2) Alcohol is a risk factor for drowning, with young males commonly represented in alcohol-related drowning statistics.

• (3) Achieving lasting improvement in behaviour among males is challenging, despite the use of water safety interventions based on theory.

• What this topic adds:

• (1) This study presents the first evaluation of a video that aimed to encourage change in young males’ social cognitions and intentions to discourage their mates alcohol consumption around water.

• (2) Results indicate significant main effects of time on intentions, subjective norms, and attitudes regarding discouraging mates from drinking and swimming, as well as drinking and swimming themselves.

• (3) The video has potential to influence young male’s social cognition for their mates’ and their own behaviour in the short term, although sustained interventions are required.

KEYWORDS:

• Alcohol consumption
• behaviour change
• injury
• programme evaluation
• risk-taking
• water safety

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Andrew Campbell for his assistance with data collection.

Disclosure statement

Authors KH and JK declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. Author SWP is employed by Royal Life Saving Society – Australia. Author AEP is an honorary senior research fellow with the Royal Life Saving Society – Australia. Data collection, analysis and interpretation of the findings were conducted independent of SWP and AEP.

Ethics approval statement

This project received ethical approval from the Griffith University Human Research Ethics Committee (2016/453).

Data availability statement

The data described in this article are openly available in the Open Science Framework at https://osf.io/8ntfr/

Open scholarship

This article has earned the Center for Open Science badges for Open Data and Open Materials through Open Practices Disclosure. The data and materials are openly accessible at https://osf.io/8ntfr/

Additional information

Funding

This study received no funding. The development of the video was undertaken by the Royal Life Saving Society – Australia with funding support from the Australian Government.