Situational High-Risk Behavior and Health: A Brief Motivational Intervention

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Specific events pose documented increases in health risk behaviors, including heavy alcohol use and risky sexual behavior, among college students. However, the co-occurrence of these two behaviors within-persons and the cross-behavior associations between motivations and consequences are not well addressed by intervention programs. Promoting health during time-limited and event-specific periods requires innovative intervention strategies that are based on personalized feedback of context-specific motivations, intentions, and consequences. Addressing the associated risks between college student alcohol and sexual behaviors may have particular relevance for young adult health. Therefore, this proposal seeks funds to develop and test a brief motivational web-based intervention that utilizes personalized feedback to reduce high risk behaviors and negative consequences among college students. During Year 1, a brief motivational feedback intervention will be developed to reduce heavy alcohol use, alcohol-related risky sex, and associated negative consequences. Qualitative feedback from college student focus groups will be used to refine content and delivery. In Year 2, a randomized control trial will be conducted. All assessments and intervention delivery will be on-line. An immediate post-event assessment using timeline follow-back reports of daily behavior and experiences will be used to test the efficacy of the program. In addition, a six-month follow-up will assess potential effects on long-term alcohol- and sex-related consequences (e.g., alcohol problems, unwanted pregnancy) and the mediating role of protective behavioral strategies, perceived norms for drinking and sex, and pacts with friends. This intervention has the potential to advance our understanding of event-specific peaks in alcohol use and related behaviors and to mitigate associated negative consequences (i.e., alcohol poisoning, STD contraction) among adolescents and young adults. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This research project is designed to promote health among college students by developing and empirically testing a brief web-based intervention program, designed to reduce the high-risk alcohol use and sexual behaviors that have been documented as occurring during situational high risk periods. If found efficacious, the program has the potential to mitigate both the acute the negative health consequences (e.g., injury, alcohol poisoning) and the long-term health consequences of young adult risk behaviors (e.g., alcohol problems, STDs, unwanted pregnancy).