Reducing sexual risk behaviors: secondary analyses from a randomized controlled trial of a brief web-based alcohol intervention for underage, heavy episodic drinking college women

Abstract

Background: Alcohol use and sexual risk behaviors (SRBs) are significant problems on college campuses. College women are at particularly high risk for negative consequences associated with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unwanted pregnancy.

Methods: The current study (n = 160) examined the effect of a brief, web-based alcohol intervention (n = 53) for college women on reducing SRBs compared to an assessment only control (n = 107) with a randomized controlled trial. Outcome measures included condom use assertiveness and number of vaginal sex partners and data were collected at baseline and three-month follow-up.

Results: Regression analyses revealed that the alcohol intervention was associated with higher levels of condom use assertiveness at a three-month follow-up. Additionally, more alcohol use was associated with less condom use assertiveness for those with more significant sexual assault histories.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that alcohol interventions may impact college women’s beliefs but not behavior, and future interventions should more explicitly target both alcohol and sexual risk to decrease risky behaviors.

Keywords:

• Web-based intervention
• sexual risk behaviors
• college
• women
• heavy episodic drinking

Acknowledgements

Data collection and manuscript preparation was supported by grants from the National Institute for Alcohol and Abuse and Alcoholism (F31AA020134 PI: A.K. Gilmore), from the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute at the University of Washington, and from the National Institute of Mental Health (T32 MH18869, PIs: Dean G. Kilpatrick, PhD, & Carla Kmett Danielson, PhD).

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Notes

1 Because there were no differences between participants of different race/ethnicities on either of the study outcomes (p’s NS within ANOVA), and because of the small number of participants who comprised many of these racial groups in the current study, race was not used a predictor in analyses that follow.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute for Alcohol and Abuse and Alcoholism [F31AA020134], University of Washington, National Institute of Mental Health [T32 MH18869].