Under the influence: taking alcohol issues into the college classroom

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Higher Education
• Health Education

Background:

• College student alcohol use is a major public health concern with detrimental effects.
• Universities are implementing diverse strategies to mitigate student alcohol consumption.
• Georgetown University piloted an innovative approach to address this issue.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of integrating alcohol education into an undergraduate nursing curriculum.
• To assess changes in student awareness of alcohol-related resources and campus culture.
• To determine if the curriculum intervention influenced students' alcohol consumption behaviors.

Main Methods:

• A curriculum infusion strategy was employed at Georgetown University's School of Nursing and Health Studies.
• Alcohol-related topics were incorporated into an existing undergraduate course.
• Student participants engaged in campus-wide dialogues and course evaluations.

Main Results:

• Course evaluations demonstrated positive outcomes from the curriculum infusion approach.
• Participants reported increased awareness of available health education resources.
• Students gained a better understanding of the campus culture surrounding alcohol use.
• Significant modifications in personal alcohol consumption behaviors were observed among student participants.

Conclusions:

• Integrating alcohol education into health-related curricula is an effective strategy for college campuses.
• This approach enhances student awareness and promotes behavioral change regarding alcohol use.
• The findings support the adoption of similar interdisciplinary programs to address student public health issues.