Evaluation of an In-class versus an Online Alcohol Diversion Program to Reduce Alcohol Consumption and Negative Consequences Among College Students

This program evaluated an in-class versus online alcohol education course designed to: a) decrease alcohol use and negative consequences; b) increase student's stage of change; c) change attitudes regarding alcohol and d) increase accuracy of perceptions of AOD use norms. Students were randomly assigned to type of course following an alcohol infraction. The in-class program consisted of three 2-hour sessions over consecutive weeks. Students in the online course completed Third Millennium's “Under the Influence”, a self-paced, 3-hour alcohol program. Students completed baseline and 3-month post surveys that measured a range of alcohol indicators including consumption, negative consequences, perceptions and attitudes.

While many institutions of higher education offer alcohol diversion programming, few have evaluated the effectiveness of these programs through measuring student outcomes over time. Furthermore, as online education programs continue to expand, more research is needed to determine how useful this format is compared to traditional classroom settings in curbing alcohol use and creating behavior change among college students.

Data on alcohol diversion students were collected over the 2005 – 2007 school years. To date, 396 matched (baseline and follow-up) cases have been. These are currently being analyzed to determine changes over time both within and between groups (online and in-class). Another 100-150 additional 3-month post-tests are expected prior to the APHA meeting. Preliminary results have shown consistent decreases in several alcohol consumption measures including drinks per week, drinks when partying and nights per week partying from both in-class and online methods, suggesting that both interventions are effective for this population.