title: Outcomes of a technology-based social norms intervention to deter alcohol use in freshman residence halls.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors tested a prototype intervention designed to deter alcohol use in residence halls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Approximately 384 freshmen participated in the study over a 2-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors devised a feedback method that assessed residents' blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at night and allowed the readings to be retrieved the next day via the Web. Residents in an intervention hall received their BAC readings as well as normative feedback. In a comparison hall, residents could retrieve only the BAC readings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The authors found statistically significant hall differences, but they were small in size and not meaningful.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Qualitative findings suggest the intervention had an overall positive impact, but the actions of a subgroup of rebellious drinkers might have obscured the effect. Social norms interventions could provoke some episodes of excessive drinking in students who find these messages objectionable. More research is needed to evaluate delayed BAC feedback.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-8210, USA. dthombs@hhp.ufl.edu
authors.forename: Dennis L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Thombs
authors.forename: R Scott
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Olds
authors.forename: Cynthia J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Osborn
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Casseday
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Glavin
authors.forename: Alan D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Berkowitz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D030141:Feedback, Psychological; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012925:Social Conformity; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities