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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2014 Jun;82(3):429-40.
doi: 10.1037/a0035550. Epub 2014 Feb 3.

Randomized controlled trial of a web-delivered personalized normative feedback intervention to reduce alcohol-related risky sexual behavior among college students

Melissa A Lewis  1 , Megan E Patrick  2 , Dana M Litt  1 , David C Atkins  1 , Theresa Kim  1 , Jessica A Blayney  1 , Jeanette Norris  3 , William H George  4 , Mary E Larimer  1
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Randomized controlled trial of a web-delivered personalized normative feedback intervention to reduce alcohol-related risky sexual behavior among college students

Melissa A Lewis et al. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2014 Jun.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of personalized normative feedback (PNF) on college student alcohol-related risky sexual behavior (RSB).

Method: In a randomized controlled trial, 480 (57.6% female) sexually active college students were stratified by gender and level of drinking and randomly assigned to an alcohol-only intervention, an alcohol-related RSB-only intervention, a combined alcohol and alcohol-related RSB intervention, or control. All assessment and intervention procedures were Web-based.

Results: Results indicated a significant reduction in drinking outcomes for the alcohol only and the combined alcohol and alcohol-related RSB interventions relative to control. Findings further demonstrated a significant reduction in alcohol-related RSB outcomes for the alcohol-related RSB only and the combined alcohol and alcohol-related RSB interventions relative to control. There were no significant intervention effects on alcohol-related negative consequences. These findings demonstrate that the combined alcohol and alcohol-related RSB intervention was the only intervention successful at reducing both drinking and alcohol-related RSB outcomes relative to control. There were no significant differences when comparing the combined alcohol and alcohol-related RSB intervention to the alcohol-only intervention or the alcohol-related RSB-only intervention. Finally, results suggested that the intervention effects on high-risk behaviors were mediated by reductions in descriptive normative perceptions.

Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that PNF specific to drinking in sexual situations was needed to reduce alcohol-related RSB. Furthermore, this study highlights the potential utility of a brief intervention that can be delivered via the Internet to reduce high-risk drinking and alcohol-related RSB among college students.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Participant flow throughout the study process.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(Left) Rate Ratios (RR) and 95% CI for RRs comparing treatment conditions to control at 3 and 6 months post-intervention for behavioral outcomes. (Right) Rate Ratios (RR) and 95% CI for RRs comparing treatment conditions to control at 3 and 6 months post-intervention for normative perception outcomes.
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Comment in

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