Brief Alcohol Screening for Community College Students (BASICCS)
Condition: Alcohol; Use, Problem
MeSH terms: Alcohol Drinking
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The present study focuses on examining the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary
      effects of an adapted alcohol intervention for high-risk college students attending community
      colleges. Investigators adapted BASICS (an efficacious in-person intervention developed for
      high-risk drinkers attending 4-year colleges and universities) to a web-conferencing format
      that allows the facilitator and participant to see and discuss live web-based personalized
      feedback. SMS text messages with protective behavioral strategies were also provided. The
      objective of the R34 was to establish feasibility and acceptability as well as to determine
      preliminary or likely effect sizes.
    

Detailed description: 
      Young adulthood (ages 18-29) is associated with increased risk for alcohol-related negative
      consequences; however, little is known about effective interventions for young adults
      attending community colleges (CCs). Thus, it is critical to develop an intervention that
      meets the various needs and demanding lifestyles of CC students. The investigators proposed
      to develop a user-friendly and convenient intervention that addresses relevant social norms,
      the impact of high-risk alcohol use on health and well-being in relevant life domains beyond
      student life and academic achievement, and provides ongoing exposure to behavior change
      strategies. To address the notable differences between CC students and traditional 4-year
      students, the investigators adapted BASICS to a web-conferencing format that allows the
      facilitator and participant to see and discuss live web-based personalized feedback (FB).
      This intervention for CC students, BASICCS, will focus on relevant normative feedback and
      alcohol's impact on multiple roles and personal goals of the CC student. Providing tips and
      protective behavioral strategies (PBS) after BASICS interventions via handouts or mailed
      postcards is standard practice and with preliminary evidence supporting the use of mobile
      phone text messaging (TM) or short message service (SMS) to reduce heavy-episodic drinking;
      thus, in this study SMS text messages were used to deliver ongoing protective behavioral
      strategies (PBS) the month after participating in the BASICCS session. The objective of this
      research was to establish feasibility and acceptability as well as to determine preliminary
      or likely effect sizes. CC student drinkers were recruited to participate and if eligible,
      they were randomized to one of two conditions (BASICCS or assessment-only control) and
      completed 1- and 3-month follow-ups.
    

Intervention name(s): BASICCS
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Participants randomized to the BASICCS condition received a personalized feedback intervention conducted through a web-conferencing platform. The personalized feedback intervention included tailored feedback on drinking quantity and frequency of alcohol, BAC, alcohol-related consequences, normative perceptions of peer drinking, alcohol outcome expectancies, family history of risk, and financial costs of alcohol. They also received up to 24 text messages with protective behavioral strategies for drinking during the following month.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions (BASICCS and assessment-only control group).
Masking: Single (Participant)
Primary purpose: Prevention