Researchers aim to curb high-risk drinking among college freshmen

July 27, 2006

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — This fall, researchers at University of Florida will begin investigating high-risk drinking behavior among first-year college students and health marketing prevention methods that influence this behavior, thanks to a $283,745-grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education.

The study will be led by primary investigator Virginia Dodd, along with project director Tavis Glassman, a doctoral student, in collaboration with the Student Health Care Center. Professor William Chen will serve as the project evaluator, and professor Dennis Thombs has agreed to serve as consultant on this project.

“We strive to understand the reasons students binge drink,” said Dodd, an assistant professor in the Department of Health Education and Behavior. “Once we do that, we can offer them health messages designed to address and counter those benefits.”

The research team will look for ways to reduce the prevalence of high-risk drinking among first-year students; reduce the number of negative consequences related to alcohol use; decrease the prevalence of high-risk drinking on game days; and change the perception existing among students that alcohol facilitates sexual opportunities.

Glassman said high-risk drinking is a common problem on college campuses.

“We feel the best way to reach a large number of students is through a health communication campaign,” Glassman said.

This study will utilize feedback gathered from UF students from both surveys and focus groups to help determine their perceived benefits of high-risk drinking and the circumstances and environments they feel support these notions.

Glassman said it has been proven that scare tactics do not have an impact on high-risk drinking of college students.

“Students want immediate cost/benefit information,” Glassman said. “Some of the issues that we are researching include more salient issues such as how alcohol impacts dating or how empty calories from alcohol consumption may result in unwanted weight gain.”

Dodd said it is very important to develop messages that are both appropriate and pertinent to students’ lives.

Dodd’s team will study the impact of this health advertising on student high-risk drinking practices. The financial expenditure of this intervention also will be noted to determine the practicality of implementing such health projects for other universities.

One hundred schools applied for this grant, and only 12 schools received funding.