Randomized controlled trial of a Spring Break intervention to reduce high-risk drinking.
OBJECTIVE
Although recent studies have documented high-risk drinking occurring during Spring Break (SB), particularly on SB trips with friends, published intervention studies are few. In the present study, we evaluated the efficacy of event specific prevention strategies for reducing SB drinking among college students, compared to general prevention strategies and an assessment-only control group, as well as evaluated inclusion of peers in interventions and mode of intervention delivery (in-person vs. web).


METHODS
Participants included 783 undergraduates (56.1% women; average age = 20.5 years) intending to go on a SB trip with friends as well as to drink heavily on at least 1 day of SB. Participants completed assessments prior to SB and were randomized to 1 of 5 intervention conditions: SB in-person Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS; Dimeff, Baer, Kivlahan, & Marlatt, 1999), SB web BASICS, SB in-person BASICS with friend, SB web BASICS with friend, general BASICS, or an attention control condition. Follow-up assessment was completed 1 week after SB.


RESULTS
Although the SB web BASICS (with and without friends) and general BASICS interventions were not effective at reducing SB drinking, results indicated significant intervention effects for SB in-person BASICS in reducing SB drinking, particularly on trip days. Follow-up analyses indicated that change in descriptive norms mediated treatment effect and reductions in drinking, whereas SB drinking intentions and positive expectancies did not.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, results suggest that an in-person SB-specific intervention is effective at reducing SB drinking, especially during trips. In contrast, interventions that contain non-SB-related content, are web-based, or seek to involve friends may be less effective at reducing SB drinking.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington.
Christine M
CM
Lee
Department of Psychology, University of Houston.
Clayton
C
Neighbors
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington.
Melissa A
MA
Lewis
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington.
Debra
D
Kaysen
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington.
Angela
A
Mittmann
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington.
Irene M
IM
Geisner
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington.
David C
DC
Atkins
Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington.
Cheng
C
Zheng
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington.
Lisa A
LA
Garberson
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington.
Jason R
JR
Kilmer
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington.
Mary E
ME
Larimer
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control*; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012309:Risk-Taking; D013334:Students; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult