Impact of living-unit interventions on college student drinking and related outcomes

Introduction: An effectiveness trial of a harm reduction approach was implemented to reduce college students' alcohol-related problems and improve quality of life in dormitory living-units (wings). Methodology: Students residing on predominantly freshmen wings at a large mid-Atlantic university were assigned one of three conditions: single (n=441) or mixed (n=405) gender intervention or control (n=423). Three alcohol-education workshops using the Information-Motivation-Behavior framework were implemented in intervention conditions early in the semester. A follow-up web-based survey was administered late in the semester: single (n=187) or mixed (n=164) gender intervention or control (n=200). Outcomes included personal (25 summed items, alpha=0.87) and secondhand (10 summed items, alpha=0.72) consequences, helping behaviors (11 summed items, alpha=0.91), and seven alcohol use items. Condition differences were analyzed with linear regression controlling for student demographics. Results: The single gender intervention condition decreased secondhand consequences (beta -.16. p=.04), weekly alcohol use (beta -.15, p=.04), and recent beer consumption (beta -.15, p=.05) among males. Among females, the mixed gender condition decreased personal (beta-.23, p=.004) and secondhand (beta -.14, p=.04) consequences, weekly use (beta -.14, p=.03), and recent binging (beta -.18, p=.005); the single gender condition decreased recent wine use (beta -.15, p=.03) and binging (beta -.15, p=.02). Conclusions: Students assigned to intervention conditions experienced fewer consequences and used less alcohol than those in the control condition. Males benefited more from single gender than mixed gender learning environments. This lends support to the use of a harm reduction intervention delivered to student living units on campuses to reduce problems associated with alcohol.