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Published on: January 5, 2018
Removing registration holds reduced alcohol prevention program completion without improving college student retention
Avery Turner1,2, Ashley N Linden-Carmichael1,2, Jimmy Howard3
1Prevention Science Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States.
Frontiers in Public Health
|July 14, 2026
Summary
Registration holds significantly boosted online alcohol program completion among university students without negatively impacting retention. However, removing these holds led to lower completion rates, potentially leaving some students without crucial prevention benefits.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Higher Education Administration
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Online alcohol prevention programs are widely adopted by U.S. universities for their efficiency.
- Limited research exists on the implementation and effectiveness of these programs in real-world university settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of removing registration holds on online alcohol prevention program completion and student retention.
- To identify factors influencing program completion among diverse student populations.
Main Methods:
- A program evaluation at a large public university examining data before and after the removal of registration holds.
- Analysis of historical program data to identify demographic and behavioral predictors of program completion.
Main Results:
- Program completion rates decreased from 87.9-98.6% to 81.2% after registration holds were removed.
- Student retention rates remained unchanged.
- Frequent alcohol use, being over 18, male gender, and identifying as Black or American Indian/Alaskan Native were associated with lower completion of optional program components.
Conclusions:
- Registration holds effectively increased program completion without harming student retention.
- Lower completion rates post-holds may limit prevention program benefits for at-risk students.
- Findings can inform university administrators and researchers on program implementation strategies.
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