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

PURPOSE: 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.

METHODS

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.

RESULTS

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.

CONCLUSION

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.

GOV REGISTRATION: NCT06776796.