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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Tibor P. Palfai, PhD¹, Christopher P. Fairholme, BS², Rebecca Zisserson, MA¹, and Richard Saitz, MD, MPH³. (1) Boston University School of Medicine, Youth Alcohol Prevention Center, 715 Albany Street, 580, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02118-2526, 617-353-9345, palfai@bu.edu, (2) Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Psychology, 715 Albany Street, 580, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02118-2526, (3) Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Youth Alcohol Prevention Center, 715 Albany Street, 580, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02118-2526

Background: Brief interventions that provide personalized normative feedback about alcohol use (PNF) have been shown to reduce unhealthy drinking among college students. However, there is little known about which students may benefit most from these approaches. The current study examined if symptoms of alcohol use disorders as measured by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) moderated the effect of a computerized PNF intervention on subsequent alcohol use. Methods: One-hundred and twenty introductory psychology students who either had two episodes of heavy episodic drinking in the past month or scored > 8 on the AUDIT were enrolled in the study. Participants were assigned to 1 of 4 conditions in this 2 Feedback (PNF vs. no feedback) x 2 Assessment (Extensive vs. Minimal) between-subjects design. Those in the PNF conditions received information about norms for heavy episodic drinking and alcohol-related problems. Heavy episodic drinking and quantity of alcohol consumption was assessed one month later. Results: Controlling for corresponding baseline alcohol measures, hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed a significant interaction between PNF and AUD symptoms in the prediction of both quantity and heavy drinking episodes. Follow-up analyses showed that PNF was associated with less alcohol use only for individuals high on AUD symptoms. Discussion: Findings suggest that PNF-based interventions that include information on alcohol-related problems may be more effective for those with stronger AUD symptoms. Moreover, the AUDIT may be a useful tool for identifying these students.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be familiar with the use of normative feedback-based approaches to reduce unhealthy drinking among college students and be able to identify factors that may influence the efficacy and effectiveness of brief interventions that utilize normative feedback.

Keywords: Alcohol, College Students

Related Web page: www.bu.edu/dbin/sph/research_centers/niaaa.php

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered