Peer-led Brief Alcohol Intervention for College Student Drinkers in Spain

Design, Implementation and Evaluation of a Peer-led Alcohol Prevention Intervention for College Students. A Exploratory Trial

A pilot randomized controlled trial was carried out. Fifty nursing students were randomly assigned either a 50-minute brief motivational intervention with individual feedback or a treatment-as-usual control condition. The intervention was delivered by undergraduate peer counsellors trained in Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students. Primary outcomes for testing efficacy were alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences.

Aims: To assess the potential efficacy and the feasibility of a peer-led brief alcohol intervention aimed to reduce the alcohol consumption in Spanish heavy nursing student drinkers.

Methods: A pilot randomized controlled trial was carried out. Fifty nursing students were randomly assigned either a 50-minute brief motivational enhancement intervention with individual feedback (n=23) or a treatment-as-usual control condition (n=27). Both motivational interviewing and personalized feedback were delivered by undergraduate peer counsellors trained in Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS). Participants were assessed during their pledge year of university with a one-month follow-up. Primary outcomes for testing efficacy were alcohol use (quantity, heavy-drinking episodes, and peak blood alcohol concentration), and alcohol-related consequences. Quantitative data were analyzed using the U-Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon test. Content analysis was used for measuring the feasibility of the program.

Inclusion Criteria:

• First year university students of Nursing Degree, between 18 and 20 years old.
• Students of first access to the University.
• Having had at least one episode of heavy drinking or binge drinking in the past month.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Students who have started or previously studied other university degrees or a higher degree.
• University students who do not consume alcohol or, if they do consume alcohol, have not had binge drinking in the last month.