1. Web-based alcohol intervention for Māori university students: double-blind, multi-site randomized controlled trial.
- Author
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Kypri, Kypros, McCambridge, Jim, Vater, Tina, Bowe, Steven J., Saunders, John B., Cunningham, John A., and Horton, Nicholas J.
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PREVENTION of alcoholism , *ALCOHOLISM treatment , *ALCOHOLISM , *CHI-squared test , *COLLEGE students , *EPIDEMIOLOGY , *INDIGENOUS peoples , *LONGITUDINAL method , *MATHEMATICAL statistics , *MEDICAL cooperation , *MEDICAL screening , *HEALTH outcome assessment , *QUESTIONNAIRES , *REGRESSION analysis , *RESEARCH , *RESEARCH funding , *SCALES (Weighing instruments) , *STATISTICS , *WORLD Wide Web , *DATA analysis , *PARAMETERS (Statistics) , *RANDOMIZED controlled trials , *TREATMENT effectiveness , *BLIND experiment , *DATA analysis software , *STATISTICAL models , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics - Abstract
Aims Like many indigenous peoples, New Zealand Māori bear a heavy burden of alcohol-related harm relative to their non-indigenous compatriots, and disparities are greatest among young adults. We tested the effectiveness of web-based alcohol screening and brief intervention (e- SBI) for reducing hazardous drinking among Māori university students. Design Parallel, double-blind, multi-site, randomized controlled trial. Setting Seven of New Zealand's eight universities. Participants In April 2010, we sent e-mail invitations to all 6697 17-24-year-old Māori students to complete a brief web questionnaire including the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test ( AUDIT)- C, a screening tool for hazardous and harmful drinking. Those screening positive were computer randomized to: <10 minutes of web-based alcohol assessment and personalized feedback (intervention) or screening alone (control). Measurements We conducted a fully automated 5-month follow-up assessment with observers and participants blinded to study hypotheses, design and intervention delivery. Pre-determined primary outcomes were: (i) frequency of drinking, (ii) amount consumed per typical drinking occasion, (iii) overall volume of alcohol consumed and (iv) academic problems. Findings Of the participants, 1789 were hazardous or harmful drinkers ( AUDIT- C ≥ 4) and were randomized: 850 to control, 939 to intervention. Follow-up assessments were completed by 682 controls (80%) and 733 intervention group members (78%). Relative to controls, participants receiving intervention drank less often [ RR = 0.89; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.82-0.97], less per drinking occasion ( RR = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.84-1.00), less overall ( RR = 0.78; 95% CI: 0.69-0.89) and had fewer academic problems ( RR = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.69-0.95). Conclusions Web-based screening and brief intervention reduced hazardous and harmful drinking among non-help-seeking Māori students in a large-scale pragmatic trial. The study has wider implications for behavioural intervention in the important but neglected area of indigenous health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
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