Abstract
Objective
We examined the effects of a two-part intervention including an online health risk assessment with personalized feedback and a brief in-person alcohol intervention for high-risk students.
Participants
Participants were 1,987 sophomore students, with 259 completing the alcohol intervention and 91 completing all follow-up surveys.
Methods
Students were invited to take an initial online health assessment covering a range of health behaviors and subsequent 3-month follow-up survey. Students who reported high-risk alcohol behaviors on the assessment were invited to participate in two one-on-one sessions utilizing motivational interviewing. Follow-up surveys occurred 3, 6 and 12 months later.
Results
Students who completed the health risk assessment reported knowledge and behavior changes. Students who completed the in-person alcohol intervention showed significant reductions in alcohol risk behavior 3-, 6- and 12-months post-intervention.
Conclusions
A two-part intervention for non-mandated students including a health risk assessment and one-on-one intervention shows promise in reducing alcohol risk.
Acknowledgments
We thank the University of Iowa Alcohol Harm Reduction Advisory Committee for their ongoing leadership, focus on multi-disciplinary collaboration, and unwavering dedication to alcohol harm reduction efforts on campus.
Conflict of interest disclosure
The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States and received approval from the IRB at the University of Iowa.