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BackgroundEarly detection of melanoma improves survival. Since many melanoma patients and their spouses seek the care of a physician after discovering their melanoma, an ongoing study will determine the efficacy of teaching at-risk melanoma patients and their skin check partner how to conduct skin self-examinations (SSEs). Internet-based health behavior interventions have proven efficacious in creating behavior change in patients to better prevent, detect, or cope with their health issues. The efficacy of electronic interactive SSE educational intervention provided on a tablet device has not previously been determined. ObjectiveThe electronic interactive educational intervention was created to develop a scalable, effective intervention to enhance performance and accuracy of SSE among those at-risk to develop melanoma. The intervention in the office was conducted using one of the following three methods: (1) in-person through a facilitator, (2) with a paper workbook, or (3) with a tablet device used in the clinical office. Differences related to method of delivery were elucidated by having the melanoma patient and their skin check partner provide a self-report of their confidence in performing SSE and take a knowledge-based test immediately after receiving the intervention. MethodsThe three interventions used 9 of the 26 behavioral change techniques defined by Abraham and Michie to promote planning of monthly SSE, encourage performing SSE, and reinforce self-efficacy by praising correct responses to knowledge-based decision making and offering helpful suggestions to improve performance. In creating the electronic interactive SSE educational intervention, the educational content was taken directly from both the scripted in-person presentation delivered with Microsoft PowerPoint by a trained facilitator and the paper workbook training arms of the study. Enrollment totaled 500 pairs (melanoma patient and their SSE partner) with randomization of 165 pairs to the in-person, 165 pairs to the workbook, and 70 pairs to electronic interactive SSE educational intervention. ResultsThe demographic survey data showed no significant mean differences between groups in age, education, or income. The tablet usability survey given to the first 30 tablet pairs found that, overall, participants found the electronic interactive intervention easy to use and that the video of the doctor-patient-partner dialogue accompanying the dermatologist’s examination was particularly helpful in understanding what they were asked to do for the study. The interactive group proved to be just as good as the workbook group in self-confidence of scoring moles, and just as good as both the workbook and the in-person intervention groups in self-confidence of monitoring their moles. While the in-person intervention performed significantly better on a skill-based quiz, the electronic interactive group performed significantly better than the workbook group. The electronic interactive and in-person interventions were more efficient (30 minutes), while the workbook took longer (45 minutes). ConclusionsThis study suggests that an electronic interactive intervention can deliver skills training comparable to other training methods, and the experience can be accommodated during the customary outpatient office visit with the physician. Further testing of the electronic interactive intervention’s role in the anxiety of the pair and pair-discovered melanomas upon self-screening will elucidate the impact of these tools on outcomes in at-risk patient populations. ClinicalTrialClinicalTrials.gov NCT01013844; http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01013844 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6LvGGSTKK).

Hazing is a form of violence that can have short‐ and long‐term physical, emotional, and psychological impacts on individuals and communities. This article reviews existing approaches for addressing public health challenges adjacent to hazing such as school violence, bullying, and sexual violence. Employing evidence‐based strategies that are effective in these contexts, such as increasing protective factors for individuals, reshaping group dynamics, and shifting social norms through multi‐tiered intervention, may be effective for hazing prevention. The article concludes with recommendations to guide hazing intervention and educational efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the escalation of alcohol use through high school, the majority of research on school-based alcohol interventions has been conducted with junior high students or first and second-year high school students. Preliminary research indicates a brief, web-based personalized feedback intervention developed for college students (eCHECKUP TO GO) may be a promising program for high school seniors. Although these studies demonstrate positive intervention effects, there is some evidence for greater program efficacy for females in this age group. The current study investigates sex differences in program acceptability of the eCHECKUP TO GO and its relationship to short-term alcohol outcomes among high school seniors (N=135). Overall, the majority of students reported they found the program to be acceptable (i.e., user-friendly and useful). However, contrary to our hypothesis, results indicated that male students reported significantly higher perceptions of program acceptability than females. Although we did not find sex differences in alcohol outcomes, program user-friendliness was related to reductions in alcohol use for males. The results of this study add to the literature supporting the eCHECKUP TO GO for high school seniors and highlight the importance of program user-friendliness for males. Implications for implementing the program as a school-based intervention are discussed.

Sensation seeking has been identified as a significant risk factor for adolescent alcohol use. Little is known, however, about the process by which sensation seeking impacts heavy alcohol use. The current study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the relationships among sensation seeking, age of drinking initiation, and heavy alcohol use in a sample of high school seniors (N = 221). Results support age of drinking initiation as a mediator of the relationship between sensation seeking and heavy alcohol use. Implications include providing personality-targeted prevention to adolescents who display sensation-seeking traits to delay drinking initiation among these students.

The present study tested whether playing football or lacrosse in high school is associated with more problematic alcohol use during college compared with playing other sports in high school. A sample of undergraduate males (n = 2,940) in their freshmen year who had played sports in high school completed a web-based questionnaire. Results showed that males who played lacrosse or both football and lacrosse in high school engaged in heavier alcohol use in college than males who played football or other sports in high school. In addition, males who played football in high school engaged in heavier alcohol use in college than males who played other high school sports. Thus, not all high school sports place males at equal risk for heavy alcohol use in college.

A total of 295 first-year students were recruited from multiple campuses of a state-wide university system. Multiple-group path analysis compared parental and peer influences between two student subgroups. First-year students attending 4-year institutions reported higher rates of alcohol use and were more likely to experience alcohol-related consequences than community college students. Baccalaureate students' alcohol use was more strongly related to peer descriptive norms, relative to community college students. Multiple-group analyses within the community college sample indicated different patterns of associations for three demographic characteristics: gender, living arrangements and minority status. Future prevention efforts for first-year community college students need to consider unique risk and protective factors and may focus on targeting parental attitudes and behaviors that discourage underage alcohol use.

Objective: Test whether frequent protective behavioral strategies (PBS) users report (a) fewer alcohol-related consequences and (b) less risky alcohol intoxication dynamics (measured via transdermal alcohol concentration [TAC] sensor "features") in daily life. Method: Two hundred twenty-two frequently heavy-drinking young adults (Mage = 22.3 years) wore TAC sensors for 6 consecutive days. TAC features peak (maximum TAC), rise rate (speed of TAC increase), and area under the curve (AUC) were derived for each day. Negative alcohol-related consequences were measured in the morning after each self-reported drinking day. Past-year PBS use was measured at baseline. Results: Young adults reporting more frequent baseline PBS use showed (a) fewer alcohol-related consequences and (b) lower intoxication dynamics on average (less AUC, lower peaks, and slower rise rates). Limiting/stopping and manner of drinking PBS showed the same pattern of findings as the total score. Serious harm reduction PBS predicted fewer negative alcohol-related consequences, but not TAC features. Multilevel path models showed that TAC features peak and rise rate partially explained associations between PBS (total, limiting/stopping, and manner of drinking) and consequences. Independent contributions of PBS subscales were small and nonsignificant, suggesting that total PBS use was a more important predictor of risk/protection than the specific types of PBS used. Conclusions: Young adults using more total PBS may experience fewer alcohol-related consequences during real-world drinking episodes in part through less risky intoxication dynamics (TAC features). Future research measuring PBS at the daily level is needed to formally test TAC features as day-level mechanisms of protection from acute alcohol-related consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual decision making is often grounded in social scripts that can be detrimental to women's healthy relationships and sexual development during the transition to college. Little is known about the malleable decision-making processes and drinking behaviors that influence sexual behaviors from day-to-day. We examined whether women were more likely to engage in sexual behaviors on days they had higher intentions and willingness to engage in sex or drink alcohol. We also explored interactions between sex- and alcohol-related decision constructs. Eighty-two first-year college women completed 14 days of ecological momentary assessment, reporting on alcohol- and sex-related intentions and willingness (3x daily) and daily drinking and sexual behaviors. We found partial support for our hypotheses: intentions and willingness to have sex were positively associated with sex behaviors, but the willingness to drink was negatively associated with sex behaviors. Heavy drinking was associated with sexual behavior, even when women indicated no prior willingness to engage in sexual behavior on those days. Findings highlight the need to address event-level variability in sexual decision making, with a particular focus on how alcohol impacts these processes. Further, the robust association between sexual intentions and behavior suggests intention setting may be a particularly useful sexual empowerment education tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescent drinking represents a significant problem in the United States. Although high school juniors and seniors are particularly vulnerable to the negative consequences associated with alcohol use, evidence-based interventions for this age group are limited. The purpose of this article is to introduce a Web-based alcohol intervention with promising evidence as a best practice for a school-based program.

Collegiate athletes are an at-risk population for high risk drinking and related consequences when compared to the general college student population. However, little is known about how aspects of an individual's personality contribute to this relationship, making intervention efforts challenging. The current study examined sensation seeking, risk-taking, and impulsivity as methods of explaining the relationship between athlete and non-athlete drinking behaviors. Findings suggested athletes drank significantly more than non-athletes and this relationship seemed to function through sensation seeking and risk-taking. The role these characteristics play as risk or protective factors for high risk drinking and implications for interventions prioritizing athletes are discussed.

Little attention has been directed toward potential differential effects of the various contexts in which parents model alcohol use. The present study examined college football tailgating as a potential context in which parental modeling may be more or less risky. 290 college freshmen were assessed for perceptions of their parents' drinking and tailgating behaviors, individual alcohol use and consequences. Hierarchical multiple regressions were performed and results revealed that parental tailgating accounted for a significant increase in the variance explained in each of the student drinking measures. Parental drunkenness at tailgates predicted college student drinking and negative consequences, over and above the influence of typical parental heavy episodic drinking. The specific context in which students perceive their parents as drinking heavily may impact their own drinking. Tailgating at sporting events appears to be one such context where students perceive alcohol behaviors which they later model. (Contains 2 tables.)

This study compared heavy drinking and alcohol-related consequences between freshman student-athletes (n = 137) and nonathletes (n = 318). Differences in high-risk drinking between the fall and spring terms were also examined. Results indicated that student-athletes reported heavier drinking and higher levels of alcohol-related consequences than did nonathletes. In addition, student-athletes reported the highest levels of drinking and alcohol-related consequences in the spring term. Implications for college counseling prevention programming are discussed. (Contains 1 table.)