http://informahealthcare.com/art ISSN: 1606-6359 (print), 1476-7392 (electronic) Addict Res Theory, Early Online: 1–11 ! 2015 Informa UK Ltd. DOI: 10.3109/16066359.2015.1043625 Efficacy of an online intervention to reduce alcohol-related risks among community college students Elizabeth Donovan, Pronabesh Das Mahapatra, Traci C. Green, Emil Chiauzzi, Kimberly McHugh, and Amanda Hemm Inflexxion, Inc., Newton, MA, USA Abstract Problems associated with alcohol use are well-documented among traditional 4-year college students, but less is known about community college students’ alcohol use. The few published articles that have investigated alcohol consumption among community college students suggest that risky alcohol consumption is a concern. Online alcohol-related risk reduction programs may be well-suited to community college campuses, due to reduced cost and labour effort, as well as increased accessibility for students. The aim of the current study was to test the efficacy of an online intervention designed to reduce risks associated with alcohol use among community college students. Three hundred and nineteen community college students were randomised to one of two treatment conditions: reviewing the online alcohol-related risk reduction program or reviewing online educational newsletters. Generalised linear mixed models were conducted, testing for mean differences between conditions over time on each outcome (primary analyses: alcohol and other drug use, protective behaviours and consequences of substance use). Exploratory analyses for moderating effects of covariates and user engagement were also conducted. Twelve months after the intervention, students who reviewed the online intervention reported a reduction in the maximum number of drinks consumed on one occasion within the past week and a greater reduction in total drinks consumed within the past week, as compared to students who received educational e-newsletters. Online alcohol-related risk reduction programs for students beginning commu- nity college may offer a practical and effective way to reduce alcohol consumption, and may have the potential to increase the wellbeing of a largely underserved population. Keywords Alcohol, community college students, online, prevention History Received 12 October 2014 Revised 17 April 2015 Accepted 19 April 2015 Published online 1 June 2015 Introduction Problems associated with alcohol use are well-documented among traditional 4-year college students (Hingson & Zha, 2009; National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism [NIAAA], 2002). Forty percent of male college students and 27% of female college students report engaging in heavy episodic drinking (American College Health Association [ACHA], 2014), typically defined as consuming five or more drinks in a row for men, and four or more drinks in a row for women (Wechsler & Austin, 1998; Wechsler, Davenport, Dowdall, Moeykens, & Castillo, 1994; Wechsler, Dowdall, Davenport, & Rimm, 1995). Heavy episodic drinking is associated with numerous negative consequences (Hingson, Zha, & Weitzman, 2009). Drinking and drug use are also problems on community college campuses; however, little work has targeted this population, despite the fact that 46% of college students attend community colleges (American Association of Community Colleges [AACC], 2014). The few published articles that address the issue suggest that risky alcohol consumption is a concern (Blowers, 2009; Sheffield, Darkes, Del Boca, & Goldman, 2005; Velazquez et al., 2011; Wall, Bailey-Shea, & McIntosh, 2012) with recent estimates of heavy episodic drinking ranging from 32% to 35% of females and 39% to 50% of males (Velazquez et al., 2011; Wall et al., 2012) ages 18–25. Even less is known about drug use among community college students. Among 18–25 year olds in general, the most commonly used drug is marijuana (19% in the past year), followed by non-medical use of prescription- type drugs (5% in the past year [Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2013]). Arguably, the nega- tive consequences that students experience as a result of consuming large amounts of alcohol are of more concern than the alcohol consumption itself. Heavy episodic alcohol consumption among college students is associated with numerous negative consequences, including driving under the influence of alcohol, being assaulted by another student who has been drinking or being the victim of an alcohol- related sexual assault or date rape (Hingson et al., 2009). Community college students differ from traditional 4-year students in a number of ways that may have implications for alcohol risk reduction programming. On average, community college students are older than their 4-year counterparts and are more likely to be working (62% of full-time community Correspondence: Dr. Elizabeth Donovan, PhD, Inflexxion, Inc., Newton, MA, USA. E-mail: donovanelizabeth@gmail.com Addict Res Theory Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by 173.14.185.169 on 06/01/15 For personal use only.