Alcohol and Alcoholism Advance Access originally published online on October 13, 2007
Alcohol and Alcoholism 2008 43(1):97-103; doi:10.1093/alcalc/agm139
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An evaluation of national alcohol screening day
1 Division of Behavioral Sciences and Community Health, University of Connecticut Health Center, Institute for Public Health Research, University of Connecticut, 99 Ash Street, MC 7160, East Hartford, CT 06108, USA
2 Institute for Public Health Research, University of Connecticut, 99 Ash Street, MC 7160, East Hartford, CT 06108, USA
3 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 5635 Fisher's Lane, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
4 Screening for Mental Health, Inc. and Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed at: Institute for Public Health Research, University of Connecticut, 99 Ash Street, MC 7160, East Hartford, CT 06108, USA. Tel: +1 860-282-8550; Fax: +1 860-282-8505; E-mail: aseltine{at}uchc.edu
Received 26 April 2007; first review notified 28 May 2007; in revised form 23 July 2007; accepted 24 August 2007
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Abstract |
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Aims: Although National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD) became the USA's largest and most visible community-based intervention targeting risky drinking over the past decade, its utility in identifying individuals who are at risk for alcohol problems and in catalyzing behaviour change has not been tested in studies including untreated controls. The purpose of this study was to assess changes in alcohol use three months following NASD participation using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design. Methods: Participants (N = 713) were recruited from 5 NASD sites in Florida, Massachusetts, and New York, USA. Intervention subjects (N = 318) were recruited at the NASD event; control subjects (N = 395) were recruited at the same locations approximately 1 week after NASD. All participants completed brief surveys at the time of enrollment, and then again 3 months later. Results: Significant decreases in the typical number of drinks consumed per occasion were observed among at-risk drinkers in the intervention group relative to controls in the 3 months following NASD. At-risk NASD participants averaged approximately 5.6 fewer drinks per week than at-risk controls. Conclusions: Findings suggest that exposure to a brief screening program with provision of feedback can result in significant reductions in alcohol consumption among risky drinkers.