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A randomized study of four cards designed to prevent problems during college students' 21st birthday celebrations

Bradley H Smith1, Kristin E Bogle, Laura Talbott

  • 1Department of Psychology, Barnwell College, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, USA. SmithBrad@sc.edu

Journal of Studies on Alcohol
|June 1, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Mailed cards aimed at preventing alcohol-related issues during 21st birthdays showed no significant impact. This study underscores the need for thorough evaluation of such interventions before widespread implementation.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Behavioral Science
  • Substance Abuse Prevention

Background:

  • 21st birthday celebrations are a high-risk period for alcohol-related problems among college students.
  • Developing effective prevention strategies for this demographic is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of mailed informational cards in preventing alcohol-related problems.
  • To assess different message types, including harm reduction and social norming, for their impact on college student drinking behaviors.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized controlled trial involving 994 college students receiving one of five card types (neutral, harm reduction, B.R.A.D. Foundation, social norming, or combined).
  • Post-birthday phone surveys were used to collect data on drinking and alcohol-related problems.
  • The study was conducted across two cohorts of students.

Main Results:

  • No statistically significant differences were observed in drinking behaviors or alcohol-related problems across the different card intervention groups.
  • The mailed card interventions did not demonstrate efficacy in reducing negative outcomes associated with 21st birthday celebrations.

Conclusions:

  • The study's null findings suggest that the tested mailed interventions are not effective in preventing alcohol-related problems for 21st birthdays.
  • Unexpected trends necessitate careful pre-deployment evaluation of large-scale mailed intervention programs.
Abstract

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