Project Background: Due to heightened awareness of recent and significant problems associated with alcohol abuse at Clemson University, the president of Clemson University has declared an immediate need for more effective alcohol abuse prevention programs. We request support of the Rapid Response mechanism in developing innovative, theoretically grounded, controlled interventions combined with policy changes at the individual, campus, and community level to capitalize on expanding administrative commitment to reducing the impact of alcohol abuse. Specific Goals: (1) Use focus groups, interviews and surveys with first year students and student services data on alcohol problems among first year students to identify specific high-risk contexts and peer reference groups at Clemson University promoting alcohol abuse among first year students; (2) Incorporate data on specific high-risk drinking contexts and peer influences at Clemson into tailored, targeted brief motivational enhancement and alcohol skills training programs to improve resistance to identified high-risk campus and community drinking contexts and peer groups and ? reduce alcohol abuse and alcohol-related problems among first year students; (3) Evaluate program impact on patterns of alcohol use and abuse among first year students by comparing these program innovations to currently used alcohol programs, using quasi-experimental designs and employing quantitative and qualitative outcomes measures. Unique Contributions: The proposed innovation uses an ecological theoretical framework combined with a college student lifestyle model to focus the impact of motivational enhancement and alcohol skills training, creating context-based modules for each program addressing the specific high-risk social contexts and peer reference groups encountered by first year college students at Clemson University. Methodology: Use of established measurement scales, surveys, university and community data on alcohol abuse, and environmental scanning techniques to identify key high-risk contexts for alcohol abuse. Develop context-based intervention programs specifically tailored to Clemson University. Use of quasi-experimental designs to assess intervention impact at the individual, campus and community levels. Expected Results: Significant reduction in patterns of alcohol abuse and alcohol-related problems among Clemson first year ? students receiving the program innovation as compared to those students receiving current intervention ? programs. ? ?
| Sutfin, Erin L; Light, Laney S; Wagoner, Kimberly G et al. (2009) Protective behaviors and high-risk drinking among entering college freshmen. Am J Health Behav 33:610-9 |
| Thompson, Martie P; Spitler, Hugh; McCoy, Thomas P et al. (2009) The moderating role of gender in the prospective associations between expectancies and alcohol-related negative consequences among college students. Subst Use Misuse 44:934-42 |
