Peer-led Brief Alcohol Intervention for College Student Drinkers in Spain

Aims: To assess the potential efficacy and the feasibility of a peer-led brief alcohol intervention aimed to reduce the alcohol consumption in Spanish heavy nursing student drinkers. Methods: A pilot randomized controlled trial was carried out. Fifty nursing students were randomly assigned either a 50-minute brief motivational enhancement intervention with individual feedback (n=23) or a treatment-as-usual control condition (n=27). Both motivational interviewing and personalized feedback were delivered by undergraduate peer counsellors trained in Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS). Participants were assessed during their pledge year of university with a one-month follow-up. Primary outcomes for testing efficacy were alcohol use (quantity, heavy-drinking episodes, and peak blood alcohol concentration), and alcohol-related consequences. Quantitative data were analyzed using the U-Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon test. Content analysis was used for measuring the feasibility of the program.