Short-Term Evaluation of a Web-Based College Alcohol Misuse and Harm Prevention Course (College Alc)

• NCJ Number: 217253
• Journal: Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education Volume: 50 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2006 Pages: 49-65
• Author(s): Mallie J. Paschall; Melina Bersamin; Melodie Fearnow-Kenney; David Wyrick; David Curry
• Date Published: September 2006
• Length: 17 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

This study evaluated the short-term impact of an abbreviated Web-based alcohol misuse and harm prevention program targeted at incoming freshmen at a California public university.

Abstract

The impact of the Web-based alcohol misuse and harm prevention program (College Alc) did not have a significant impact on student-level risk for alcohol-related harm. Specifically, the findings indicated that by the end of the fall semester, students in the College Alc program reported higher levels of alcohol-related knowledge and less positive attitudes toward alcohol use than students in a control group. Students who participated in College Alc also expressed intentions to use strategies to avoid alcohol-related harms. College Alc, however, had no impact on psychosocial factors, alcohol use, heavy drinking, or alcohol-related problems. While the impact of the program was minimal, the authors suggest that College Alc may be useful as a compliment to other campus-wide strategies to reduce alcohol misuse among students. Incoming freshman at a northern California public university were solicited to voluntarily participate in the College Alc evaluation study. The 370 participants were randomly assigned to either the College Alc condition (173 students) or a control condition (197 students). Baseline and follow-up surveys were completed prior to beginning the College Alc program and following completion of the program. Surveys focused on alcohol use, heavy drinking behavior, alcohol-related knowledge, alcohol expectancies, alcohol experiences, normative beliefs, attitudes toward alcohol use and heavy drinking, and intentions to minimize alcohol-related harms. Data were analyzed using t-tests and analyses of covariance. Future research should focus on evaluating whether College Alc is more or less effective for students at higher risk of alcohol-related harm. Tables, references