Changing the perception of the norm: a strategy to decrease binge drinking among college students.
A reduction in college students' binge drinking associated with an intervention to change perceptions of drinking norms is described. The 5-year study was conducted at a public residential campus of 23,000 students. A traditional intervention proved unsuccessful, but a media campaign designed to change student perceptions of the amount of binge drinking showed an 18.5% drop in the number of students who perceived binge drinking as the norm (from 69.7% to 51.2%) and a corresponding reduction in self-reported binge drinking of 8.8% (from 43.0% to 34.2%). The apparent effectiveness of this prevention effort suggested that changing college students' perceptions of drinking norms may lower the proportion of students who engage in binge drinking.
Haines
M
M
Health Enhancement Services, University Health Service, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, USA.
Spear
S F
SF
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D010379:Peer Group; D010465:Perception; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities