Impact of Motivational Intervention to Promote a Healthy Lifestyle among College Students Participating in a Program to Prevent Binge Drinking

Heavy alcohol use is a major global public health problem facing colleges and universities. College students engage in many unhealthy habits and risk behaviors including poor nutrition, inadequate exercise, unprotected sexual behaviors, and binge drinking. Objective: This longitudinal study compared the health promotion behaviors, personality traits, and alcohol use in two groups of students, mandated and a voluntary group. Both groups participated in the alcohol Motivational Intervention (MI) program for high risk alcohol drinking. Methods: Freshmen (710 voluntary, 190 mandated, N = 900) between the ages of 18 and 21, received the MI at baseline and again at 2 weeks, with boosters at 3, 6 and 12 months. Participants completed three measures the Daily Drinking Questionnaire (DDQ); Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS), and Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLPII). Mandated and Voluntary participants were compared using two sample t-test for continuous variables (global health, personality traits, drinking measures), and chi-square test for categorical variables (gender, ethnicity). Results: MI program had a positive influence on both mandated and voluntary students.  Associations were demonstrated between alcohol consumption, personality traits, gender, and lifestyles health behaviors. In both groups alcohol consumption dropped significantly by 12 months. Global health, physical activity, stress management, and interpersonal relations improved in both groups between baseline and 12 months. Impulsivity and hopelessness traits were associated with poor health behaviors. Conclusions: Intervention programs need to consider a comprehensive design that addresses developmental dynamics of freshmen students, such as gender, psychosocial, personality, and lifestyle health behaviors.