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A quasi-randomized group trial of a brief alcohol intervention on risky single occasion drinking among secondary school students

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Public Health

Abstract

Objectives

To show the effectiveness of a brief group alcohol intervention. Aims of the intervention were to reduce the frequency of heavy drinking occasions, maximum number of drinks on an occasion and overall weekly consumption.

Methods

A cluster quasi-randomized control trial (intervention n = 338; control n = 330) among 16- to 18-year-old secondary school students in the Swiss Canton of Zürich. Groups homogeneous for heavy drinking occasions (5+/4+ drinks for men/women) consisted of those having medium risk (3–4) or high risk (5+) occasions in the past 30 days. Groups of 8–10 individuals received two 45-min sessions based on motivational interviewing techniques.

Results

Borderline significant beneficial effects (p < 0.10) on heavy drinking occasions and alcohol volume were found 6 months later for the medium-risk group only, but not for the high-risk group. None of the effects remained significant after Bonferroni corrections.

Conclusions

Group intervention was ineffective for all at-risk users. The heaviest drinkers may need more intensive treatment. Alternative explanations were iatrogenic effects among the heaviest drinkers, assessment reactivity, or reduction of social desirability bias at follow-up through peer feedback.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Department, Addiction Switzerland, Avenue de Ruchonnet 14, P.O. Box 870, 1001, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Gerhard Gmel & Florian Labhart

  2. Alcohol Treatment Center, Lausanne University Hospital, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Gerhard Gmel

  3. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1, Canada

    Gerhard Gmel

  4. University of the West of New England, Frenchey Campus, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK

    Gerhard Gmel

  5. Cantonal Office for Secondary Education Zürich, 8090, Zurich, Switzerland

    Vigeli Venzin & Katrin Marmet

  6. Department of Psychiatry, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093-0866, USA

    George Danko

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  1. Gerhard Gmel
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  2. Vigeli Venzin
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  3. Katrin Marmet
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  4. George Danko
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  5. Florian Labhart
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Correspondence to Gerhard Gmel.

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Gmel, G., Venzin, V., Marmet, K. et al. A quasi-randomized group trial of a brief alcohol intervention on risky single occasion drinking among secondary school students. Int J Public Health 57, 935–944 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-012-0419-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-012-0419-0

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