Original article
Feasibility and Acceptability of the Social Media-Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students Intervention

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.01.014Get rights and content

Abstract

Purpose

Community college (CC) students represent an at-risk population for alcohol use with limited access to campus interventions. The Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) is available online, though identifying CC students at risk and connecting them to interventions remains challenging. This study tested a novel approach using social media to identify at-risk students and prompt delivery of BASICS.

Methods

This randomized controlled trial examined the feasibility and acceptability of Social Media-BASICS. Participants were recruited from five CCs. Baseline procedures included a survey and social media friending. Social media profiles were evaluated using content analysis monthly for nine months. Intervention prompts included displayed alcohol references indicating escalation of or problematic alcohol use. Participants who displayed such content were randomized into the BASICS intervention or an active control. Measures and analyses assessed feasibility and acceptability.

Results

A total of 172 CC students completed the baseline survey, mean age was 22.9 (standard deviation = 3.18) years. Most were female (81%), with many (67%) identifying as White. Among participants, 120 (70%) displayed alcohol references on social media, prompting intervention enrollment. Of randomized participants, 94 (93%) completed the preintervention survey within 28 days of the invitation. The majority of participants reported positive intervention acceptability.

Discussion

This intervention combined two validated approaches: identification of problem alcohol use displays on social media, and provision of the Web-BASICS intervention. Findings demonstrate the feasibility for novel web-based interventions to reach CC populations.

Section snippets

The current study

While social media could facilitate identification of CC students who would benefit from an online alcohol intervention, the real-world feasibility of using social media to deliver targeted interventions remains unknown. Thus, the present study examined a novel alcohol intervention, Social Media-BASICS (SM-BASICS), which aims to use social media to identify displayed references to problem alcohol use and subsequently prompt the delivery of Web-BASICS. This randomized controlled trial study

Methods

This randomized controlled trial examined the feasibility and acceptability of SM-BASICS. Data collection took place between March 2018 and January 2020 at five CCs, two in the Northwest and three in the Midwest. Similar to previous research, CCs in this study included post-secondary campuses offering primarily two-year degree programs [2,3]. The relevant institutional review board and the five participating CCs approved this project.

Participants

This study included 172 participants who completed the baseline survey. The majority (81.40%) reported female birth sex and 79.07% identified their gender identity as female. Among the 172 participants, 66.86% identified as non-Hispanic, White. Finally, 68.60% reported attending a Washington CC. The mean age was 22.91 years (standard deviation = 3.18; range, 18–29 years). Table 1 provides demographic information.

Screening and enrollment rates

The eligibility screening survey was completed by 706 individuals, and 252 were

Discussion

This study examined feasibility and acceptability using an innovative pilot randomized controlled trial designed to reduce problem alcohol use among CC students. Given that CC students represent a high-risk population with decreased access to in-person healthcare and alcohol screening on campus, this approach was intended to utilize web-based approaches and tools. The intervention combined two validated approaches, one for identification of potential problem alcohol use by evaluation of

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Reese Hyzer and Kole Binger for their contributions to this study.

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    Conflicts of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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