Naturalistic Influences on Alcohol Problems in College

描述（由申请人提供）：对成人、青少年和大学饮酒者的研究表明，在很大程度上，饮酒问题的自然进化发生了。尽管已经积累了相当多的文献来研究成年问题饮酒者的自然变化过程，但这种情况很少在大学生中进行研究。越来越多的证据表明，不良酒精事件的经历（或积累）与这种自我改变过程有关，但此类事件的现象学经验尚未得到前瞻性研究。其他与问题饮酒进展相关的重要因素包括同伴和父母的影响、机构（大学）特征、人格特征、酒精预期、动机和先前的酒精经验。我们建议对罗德岛州和马萨诸塞州南部三所大学的两组学生进行纵向研究，采用三波数据收集（大学预科、大一和大二），对少数民族学生进行抽样调查。除了年度调查外，在大一和大二期间，所有学生都将接受每周一次的基于网络的筛查，以检测特定酒精相关不良事件的发生。有活动的学生将被随机选择，然后随机分配到活动后立即面试组或不进行评估的对照组。事件访谈将测量学生对事件的感知、他们的归因、后果和预期后果、对事件的社会网络反应以及改变的意图。活动结束三个月后，两组都将再次接受采访。该设计代表了两种强有力的研究方法的创新桥梁，用于调查大学饮酒，这将允许检查保护和风险因素。由此产生的知识应该为预防性干预提供信息。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Research examining adult, adolescent, and college drinkers suggests that a natural evolution out of problem drinking occurs for a significant portion. Although a fairly substantial body of literature has accrued that examines processes of naturalistic change in adult problem drinkers, this occurrence has rarely been studied among college students. There is converging evidence that the experience (or accumulation) of adverse alcohol events is relevant for this self-change process, but the phenomenological experience of such events has not been studied prospectively. Other important factors related to the progression of problem drinking include peer and parent influences, institutional (college) characteristics, personality characteristics, alcohol expectancies, motivation, and prior experience with alcohol. We propose to conduct a longitudinal study with three waves of data collection (pre-college, freshman, and sophomore year) with two cohorts of students at three colleges in Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts, over sampling for ethnic minority students. In addition to yearly surveys, all students will be regularly screened bi-weekly throughout their freshman and sophomore years using a web-based measure to detect the occurrence of specific alcohol-related adverse events. Students who have events will be randomly selected and then randomly assigned to either an immediate post-event interview or a no-assessment control group. Event interviews will measure students' perception of the event, their attributions, consequences and anticipated consequences, social network response to the event, and intentions to change. Both groups will be interviewed again three months after their events. The design represents an innovative bridging of two strong research methodologies used to investigate college drinking that will allow examination of both protective and risk factors. Resulting knowledge should inform preventive interventions.