Abstract
Parents can employ communication strategies to prevent alcohol use among college students. This investigation utilizes content analysis to examine the coverage of parent-related strategies in 32 newspapers over the last decade. Of the 255 articles related to college drinking, only 49 mentioned one or more parenting strategies. The most frequently mentioned strategies were parental notification of their child's problem behavior by college administrators and communicating with older children about alcohol. The strategies mentioned least were monitoring and staying connected with college-aged children and talking about the consequences of binge drinking. The minimal coverage suggests a need for the use of media advocacy by public health professionals.
Notes
The peak in coverage in 2002 (7 articles) is probably related to the release of the Call to Action document by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The Call to Action document was released in April 2002, and it generated much discussion at universities and colleges, which, in turn, drew the attention of the print media.