title: Preventing risky drinking in first-year college women: further validation of a female-specific motivational-enhancement group intervention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Female college students have increased their alcohol consumption rates. The current study sought to replicate the effectiveness of a female-specific motivational-enhancement group intervention and extended previous work by adding a 6-month follow-up. The intervention included several motivational-enhancement components delivered in a group setting and included a group discussion of female-specific reasons for drinking.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 285 first-year college women. Data collection consisted of an online pre-intervention questionnaire, 10 weeks of online follow-up assessment, and a 6-month online follow-up. Using a randomized design, participants chose a group session, blind to treatment status. Held during the first weeks of the first semester, 159 participants received the intervention and 126 participants received an assessment-only control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using a repeated-measures analysis of covariance, intervention participants consumed significantly less than control participants on drinks per week (F = 11.86, 1/252 df, p < .001), maximum drinks (F = 11.90, 1/252 df, p < .001), and heavy episodic drinking events (F = 20.14, 1/252 df, p < .001) across 10 weeks of follow-up. However, these effects did not persist at the 6-month follow-up. Moderation effects were found for social motives on all drinking variables, such that the intervention was most effective for those women with higher social motives for drinking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Efficacy was found for a female-specific motivational group intervention in creating less risky drinking patterns among first-year women, especially women with social motives for drinking. The effect dissipated by the second semester, suggesting the need for maintenance or booster sessions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA. jlabrie@lmu.edu
authors.forename: Joseph W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: LaBrie
authors.forename: Karen K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Huchting
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lac
authors.forename: Summer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tawalbeh
authors.forename: Alysha D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Larimer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009042:Motivation; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*