Goal: Test the efficacy of brief primary care provider administered interventions in a sample of college students, screened for a history of high-risk drinking. Outcomes of interest include reductions in amount of alcohol consumed per day, number of episodes of high-risk drinking within one month, and progression in the readiness to change continuum. ? Background: The longitudinal College Alcohol Study indicates that 44% of students binge drink (Wechsler, 2002). Alcohol related harms include approximately 1,400 college student deaths and 500,000 students injured per year. Despite numerous attempts to reduce its use, there has been no significant decrease in heavy drinking rates or harmful consequences over the past 20 years. There is a paucity of data available testing the efficacy of primary care provider administered brief interventions within student health centers. Method: At the time of initial registration to the UCF Student Health Service, students will be asked to complete an alcohol screening questionnaire embedded in a brief health questionnaire. Those that screen positive will be randomly assigned to a """"""""usual care"""""""" control group, or a brief intervention group. The brief intervention group will receive two primary care provider visits scheduled at two and four weeks. All subjects will be contacted at three months, six months, and one year, to assess changes in heavy drinking rates, and readiness to change assessment. Power analysis suggests 150 students in each of the two groups of the trial will have sufficient power to detect a difference between the groups. Significance: The trial will improve our understanding of the efficacy of brief interventions delivered by primary care providers to college students screened for high-risk drinking. A positive trial would encourage other college health clinics to adopt this screening and brief intervention model, resulting in a decrease in high-risk drinking rates and leading to a reduction in alcohol-related harms. ? ?
| Schaus, James F; Sole, Mary Lou; McCoy, Thomas P et al. (2009) Alcohol screening and brief intervention in a college student health center: a randomized controlled trial. J Stud Alcohol Drugs Suppl :131-41 |
| Schaus, James F; Sole, Mary Lou; McCoy, Thomas P et al. (2009) Screening for high-risk drinking in a college student health center: characterizing students based on quantity, frequency, and harms. J Stud Alcohol Drugs Suppl :34-44 |
