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N/A N=121 Randomized Single-blind Prevention

Text-based Alcohol Prevention for First Year College Students

College Drinking

Enrolled (actual)
121
Serious AEs
0.0%
Results posted
Apr 2025
Primary outcome: Primary: Drinks Per Week as Assessed by the Daily Drinking Questionnaire — 9.55; 10.87 drinks per week — p=0.568

Study Design & Population

Study type
Interventional
Phase
N/A
Interventions
Alcohol texts (Behavioral); Attention control (Behavioral)
Age
Adult · 18+ yrs
Sex
All
Sponsor
Brown University
Primary completion
Apr 2019

Outcome Measures

OutcomeResultp-value
PRIMARY
Drinks Per Week as Assessed by the Daily Drinking Questionnaire
9.55; 10.87 0.568
PRIMARY
Alcohol-related Consequences as Assessed by the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire
4.44; 5.32 0.077
SECONDARY
Protective Behavioral Strategies as Assessed by the Strategies Questionnaire - Alternative Sub Scale
14.54; 13.53 0.30
SECONDARY
Perceived Descriptive Drinking Norms as Assessed by the Drinking Norms Rating Form
11.46; 12.74 0.44
SECONDARY
Perceived Injunctive Drinking Norms as Assessed by an Adaptation of the Drinking Norms Rating Form
15.72; 16 0.845
SECONDARY
Protective Behavioral Strategies as Assessed by the Strategies Questionnaire - Selective Avoidance Sub Scale
5.9; 5.67 0.77
SECONDARY
Protective Behavioral Strategies as Assessed by the Strategies Questionnaire - Strategies Sub Scale
12.90; 13.51 0.21

Summary

This project aims to combat excessive perceived norms that contribute to high volume drinking by young adults, which adversely affects health and academic achievement. Campus-specific survey data will be used to craft accurate, pro-moderation campus norms, and deliver them to first-year students via daily text messages during the first semester of college. It is predicted that those receiving regular exposure to pro-moderation drinking norms will reduce their alcohol consumption and consequences, relative to students who receive non-alcohol-related control texts. This preliminary evaluation uses a novel method of delivering drinking norms and will lay the groundwork for future efforts to scale up this novel alcohol misuse prevention approach.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

  • 18-20 years of age
  • enrolled as a first-year undergraduate student
  • past month risky drinking
  • possession of a mobile phone with text message capacity
  • use text messaging at least weekly

Exclusion Criteria

  • currently engaged in alcohol treatment or in need of treatment (AUDIT score 20 or higher)
View full record on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03864237). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication.

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