A successful social norms campaign to reduce alcohol misuse among college student-athletes.
OBJECTIVE
This study examines the impact of a social norms intervention to reduce alcohol misuse among student-athletes. The intervention was designed to reduce harmful misperceptions of peer norms and, in turn, reduce personal risk.


METHODS
A comprehensive set of interventions communicating accurate local norms regarding alcohol use targeted student-athletes at an undergraduate college. An anonymous survey of all student-athletes was conducted annually for 3 years (2001: n = 414, 86% response; 2002: n = 373, 85% response; and 2003: n = 353, 79% response). A pre/post comparison of student-athletes was conducted separately for new and ongoing athletes at each time point to isolate any general time period effects from intervention effects. A cross-sectional analysis of student-athletes with varying degrees of program exposure was also performed.


RESULTS
The intervention substantially reduced misperceptions of frequent alcohol consumption and high-quantity social drinking as the norm among student-athlete peers. During this same time period, frequent personal consumption, high-quantity consumption, high estimated peak blood alcohol concentrations during social drinking, and negative consequences all declined by 30% or more among ongoing student-athletes after program exposure. In contrast, no significant differences across time were seen for new student-athletes each year with low program exposure. Among student-athletes with the highest level of program exposure, indications of personal misuse were at least 50% less likely on each measure when compared with student-athletes with the lowest level of program exposure.


CONCLUSIONS
This social norms intervention was highly effective in reducing alcohol misuse in this high-risk collegiate subpopulation by intensively delivering data-based messages about actual peer norms through multiple communication venues.
Perkins
H Wesley
HW
Department of Anthropology and Sociology, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, New York 14456, USA. perkins@hws.edu
Craig
David W
DW
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012927:Social Control, Informal; D013177:Sports; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*