Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Controlled Clinical Trial
. 2019 Jan:76:16-23.
doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2018.10.015. Epub 2018 Nov 1.

Enrollment and assessment of a first-year college class social network for a controlled trial of the indirect effect of a brief motivational intervention

Nancy P Barnett  1 , Melissa A Clark  2 , Shannon R Kenney  3 , Graham DiGuiseppi  4 , Matthew K Meisel  4 , Sara Balestrieri  4 , Miles Q Ott  5 , John Light  6
Affiliations
Controlled Clinical Trial

Enrollment and assessment of a first-year college class social network for a controlled trial of the indirect effect of a brief motivational intervention

Nancy P Barnett et al. Contemp Clin Trials. 2019 Jan.

Abstract

Heavy drinking and its consequences among college students represent a serious public health problem, and peer social networks are a robust predictor of drinking-related risk behaviors. In a recent trial, we administered a Brief Motivational Intervention (BMI) to a small number of first-year college students to assess the indirect effects of the intervention on peers not receiving the intervention.

Objectives: To present the research design, describe the methods used to successfully enroll a high proportion of a first-year college class network, and document participant characteristics.

Methods: Prior to study enrollment, we consulted with a student advisory group and campus stakeholders to aid in the development of study-related procedures. Enrollment and baseline procedures were completed in the first six weeks of the academic semester. Surveys assessed demographics, alcohol use, and social network ties. Individuals were assigned to a BMI or control group according to their dormitory location.

Results: The majority of incoming first-year students (1342/1660; 81%) were enrolled (55% female, 52% nonwhite, mean age 18.6 [SD = 0.51]). Differences between the intervention and control group were noted in alcohol use, but were in large part a function of there being more substance-free dormitory floors in the control group.

Conclusions: The current study was successful in enrolling a large proportion of a first-year college class and can serve as a template for social network investigations.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02895984.

Keywords: Alcohol; College; Implementation; Intervention; Social network; Study design.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Sociogram of the First-year College Student Network at Baseline (N = 1342)
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Flow Chart of Participant Enrollment and Baseline Data Collection
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Participants in the BMI group. Intervention recipients were chosen such that 25% of higher frequency heavy drinkers (more than one heavy drinking day in past month), would receive BMI (27% were selected, anticipating some non-completion of the BMI). Those not selected from the higher frequency group and other heavy drinkers (those with one heavy drinking day) received no direct intervention. The same process was used for the NHC group (not shown).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Bandura A (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191–215. - PubMed
    1. Bandura A (1986). Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentiss-Hall.
    1. Borsari B, & Carey KB (2000). Effects of a brief motivational intervention with college student drinkers. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68(4), 728–733. - PubMed
    1. Borsari B, & Carey KB (2001). Peer influences on college drinking: A review of the research. Journal of Substance Abuse, 13(4), 391–424. - PubMed
    1. Borsari B, Murphy JG, & Barnett NP (2007). Predictors of alcohol use during the first year of college: Implications for prevention. Addictive Behaviors, 32(10), 2062–2086. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2007.01.017 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

Associated data