Evaluating specific community structural changes. Examples from the assessment of responsible beverage service

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Alcohol Prevention
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) is a strategy to mitigate alcohol-related harms, including impaired driving.
• Bars and restaurants play a key role in preventing alcohol-related deaths and injuries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review evaluation measures and protocols for Responsible Beverage Service programs.
• To describe the design of the Prevention Research Center's Community Trials Project for evaluating RBS.
• To highlight considerations in action research for public health interventions.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of evaluation designs for RBS programs.
• Description of the Community Trials Project's RBS component.
• Analysis of strengths and limitations of different evaluation approaches.

Main Results:

• Various measures and protocols exist for evaluating RBS programs, each with pros and cons.
• The Community Trials Project offers a practical case study in applying action research to RBS evaluation.
• Unique considerations influenced the selection of measures and protocols in the Community Trials Project.

Conclusions:

• Effective evaluation designs are crucial for understanding the impact of RBS interventions.
• Action research provides a valuable framework for real-world public health program evaluation.
• RBS initiatives hold significant potential for reducing alcohol-related public health problems.