Moderated Mediation of the eCHECKUP TO GO College Student Cannabis Use Intervention

Abstract

Background: Cannabis use rates are rising among college students, creating a need for effective and accessible intervention options. One such intervention, the Marijuana eCHECKUP TO GO (eCTG) program, has relatively few studies investigating mechanisms of change and related outcomes. This intervention provides users with personalized normative feedback to adjust user’s normative perceptions and use patterns. The current study tested moderated mediation of program effects between the eCTG intervention condition and a healthy stress management (HSM) control condition in a college student sample of near-daily cannabis users. Protective behavioral strategies (PBS) were measured among the eCTG condition

Methods: Data were analyzed from a sample of 227 students who were randomly assigned to the eCTG intervention condition or HSM control condition. Change in cannabis use frequency was measured by re-administering the baseline survey at a six-week follow-up. Multi-group moderated mediation path analysis tested the effects of the eCTG intervention on change in cannabis use frequency through PBS, descriptive norms, and injunctive norms, with multi-group categories defined by sex.

Results: Direct effects indicated the intervention predicted reduced descriptive norm perceptions and cannabis use frequency. An indirect effect was found for the intervention condition on reducing cannabis use frequency through change in descriptive norms in males. Similarly, an indirect effect was seen for intervention condition on reducing cannabis use frequency through change in injunctive norms for females.

Conclusions: Findings suggest changes in descriptive norms played a sex-specific mediating role in the mechanisms of change for the eCTG intervention on reductions in cannabis use frequency.

Keywords:

• Cannabis
• web-based
• intervention
• college student
• normative feedback

Declaration of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment under Grant [number 2017-3415]; the School of Social Work at Colorado State University; and the Prevention Research Center in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Colorado State University.