Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #105659

Richard W. Wilson, DHSc, MPH, Department of Public Health, Western Kentucky University, Western Kentucky University, 1 Big Red Way, Bowling Green, KY 42101-3576, 270-745-6397, Richard.Wilson@wku.edu, Thomas Nicholson, PhD, Public Health, Western Kentucky University, Western Kentucky University, One Big Red Way, Bowling Green, KY 42101-3576, John A. Bonaguro, PhD, College of Health & Human Services, Western Kentucky University, 1 Big Red Way, Bowling Green, KY 42101, and David Duncan, DrPH, Brown University, 1347 Kentucky St. # 2, Bowling Green, KY 42101.

University instructors are relatively uninvolved with addressing student alcohol problems. This project is an effort to enlist the influence of instructors for intervening with student alcohol abuse. The technique of brief interventions is a promising one to supplement common existing programs, adding a stronger component of secondary prevention. The faculty at a Midwestern public university was surveyed to determine readiness for training and doing early intervention for students. All instructors teaching classes with at least 75% freshmen enrollment were selected. The Core Institute Faculty and Staff Environmental Alcohol and Other Drug survey instrument was sent to the sample of 177; 89 questionnaires were returned for a 50% response rate. 71% of respondents said they had students whose academic performance had been affected by ATOD use, 43% said they did not know how to refer students with ATOD problems. About 44% of respondents said they wanted to be involved in campus ATOD programs, while 63% said they would attend a workshop dealing with ATOD prevention. Though 38% could not identify signs of ATOD abuse, 63% said more information would be helpful. Fully 84% said that if they knew how to refer students for help with ATOD problems, they would. Survey results suggest that there are substantial gaps in the professional knowledge and skills among faculty regarding ATOD intervention and referral, and that at least among instructors working with freshmen students, there is interest in gaining more expertise. Research literature on brief interventions for student alcohol abuse will also be discussed.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to

• define or explain the technique of brief intervention;
• summarize literature on the use of biref intervention for campus alcohol interventions;
• discuss the potential for faculty to use brief intervention with students;
• assess the evidence that faculty instructors are ready to intervene with students having problems with alcohol abuse.

Keywords: College Students, Alcohol Problems

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.