The Effects of a Web-Based Alcohol Prevention Program on Social Norms, Expectancies, and Intentions to Prevent Harm among College Student-Athletes

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Samantha Kelly, Assistant Director for the Institute to Promote Athlete Health & Wellness (Creator)
Jeffrey John Milroy, Associate Director (Creator)
Erin J. Reifsteck (Creator)
David L. Wyrick, Associate Professor (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: College athletes are at risk for heavy alcohol use, which jeopardizes their general health, academic standing, and athletic performance. Effective prevention programming reduces these risks by targeting theory-based intermediate factors that predict alcohol use while tailoring content to student-athletes. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the myPlaybook online prevention program on student-athletes’ social norms, negative alcohol expectancies, and intentions to use alcohol-related harm prevention strategies. NCAA Division II student-athletes were recruited from 60 institutions across the United States to complete myPlaybook and pretest/posttest surveys measuring demographics and targeted outcome variables. Participants were randomly assigned to the treatment group (pretest-program-posttest; final n=647) or the delayed treatment “control” group (pretest-posttest-program; final n=709). Results revealed significant program effects on social norms (p<.01) and intentions to use harm prevention strategies (p < .01), while the effect on negative alcohol expectancies was nonsignificant (p=.14). Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Additional Information

Publication
The Sport Psychologist, 30(2), 113-122. [2016]
Language: English
Date: 2016
Keywords
athletes, prevention, college, alcohol, social norms

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