Behavioral Intervention for Risky Behaviors in College Students
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?
Alcohol misuse and related risky sexual behaviors are significant health concerns for college students. Two-thirds of students are current drinkers, at least 1 in 3 report past month heavy episodic drinking (5+ drinks in a row), and 1 in 10 report high intensity drinking (10+ drinks in a row). Increased student alcohol use and heavy drinking are linked to increased sexual activity and related risky behaviors (e.g., unprotected sex, sex with casual partners). This puts students at risk for negative health outcomes (e.g., STIs - sexually transmitted infections) and is also a pathway to sexual victimization and escalated drinking. The first few weeks of college, known as the 'red zone,' provide an opportunity to intervene at time when these behaviors increase. However, most prevention programs for college students tend to focus on student alcohol use and have little to no integration of content on the relationship between alcohol use and risky sexual behaviors. This is an important gap in the literature and a priority area for NIAAA. The research team established the short-term efficacy of a personalized feedback intervention (PFI), a gold standard intervention approach, with integrated content on alcohol and risky sexual behaviors. In this study, we propose to extend our integrated PFI to include a cross-tailored dynamic feedback (CDF) component. The CDF component will use technology to incorporate daily assessments of student behavior and provide students with dynamic weekly feedback over 12 weeks. The goal is to increase the effectiveness of the integrated PFI and to create a program that is easily implemented on college campuses.
Research Team
Anne E Ray, PhD
Principal Investigator
University of Kentucky
Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for first-year college students at the University of Kentucky or UNT-Denton, aged 18-20, who have had a recent binge drinking episode and are sexually active but not in a monogamous relationship. It's not open to those pregnant, planning pregnancy, currently reducing substance use via treatment, or unable to consent.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Baseline Assessment
Participants complete a baseline survey during the first week of the semester
Intervention
Participants receive the PFI+CDF intervention with weekly dynamic feedback over 12 weeks
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for changes in alcohol-related sexual behavior and other outcomes
Treatment Details
Interventions
- Cross-tailored Dynamic Feedback
- Dynamic Feedback on General Health Behaviors
- Personalized Feedback Intervention
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Anne E Ray
Lead Sponsor
University of North Texas Health Science Center
Collaborator
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Collaborator
Klein Buendel, Inc.
Industry Sponsor