Examining How Academic Subscribers Implement Alcohol eCHECKUP to GO.

BACKGROUND

Colleges and universities use various prevention and intervention programs to address high-risk drinking among their students. Alcohol eCHECKUP TO GO is one of the most popular programs to address this risk, with strong empirical support. However, it is unclear how the context of the efficacy studies aligns with the context of typical use.

OBJECTIVES

The current study examined how institutions are implementing Alcohol eCHECKUP TO GO on their campuses, including: who receives the program (e.g., first-year students), how it is disseminated (remotely versus in person), if the program is delivered on its own or with another program, and if administration systematically varies across institution characteristics (e.g., public or private school). An online survey was sent to all Alcohol eCHECKUP TO GO subscribers. The sample (83 institutions, 51.3% medium-sized schools, 20.5% minority serving) provided information about their implementation of Alcohol eCHECKUP TO GO and institution characteristics.

RESULTS

Most institutions implemented Alcohol eCHECKUP TO GO remotely, to students who receive alcohol violations/sanctions and those who voluntarily seek out the program, and it is combined with another alcohol or health program for many student groups. These factors generally did not vary by institution characteristics; however, implementation to select student groups did vary by school size and if the institution was a minority serving institution.

CONCLUSIONS

Institutions implement Alcohol eCHECKUP TO GO with a variety of student groups and mostly remotely. This study provides intervention and prevention researchers interested in the effectiveness of the program with a better understanding of real-world conditions.