Pilot randomized controlled trial of a tailored personalized normative feedback intervention for college student alcohol use.

Abstract

Heavy drinking is common on college campuses, and personalized normative feedback interventions (PFI) are commonly implemented to reduce heavy drinking behaviors. The current study tested the preliminary efficacy of a web-based PFI intervention, Web-BASICS (Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students), tailored for participant selection of their normative peer group to reduce descriptive drinking norms and alcohol use compared to a control condition. College students (N = 248) were recruited to participate in a study on alcohol use. Participants were randomized to receive Tailored Web-BASICS or a control condition and were asked to complete a survey at baseline and three months post-intervention. Most participants (77 %; n = 97) assigned to receive Tailored Web-BASICS chose to have normative feedback tailored by race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and university. Descriptive drinking norms mediated the effect of Tailored Web-BASICS on alcohol use. Those assigned to Tailored Web-BASICS had reductions in descriptive drinking norms, thereby reducing alcohol use at three months post-intervention relative to control. Tailored Web-BASICS may be a useful strategy to reduce alcohol use for all college students, irrespective of identity. Future research is needed to assess the efficacy of this approach in a large randomized controlled trial. NCT06776796.