Preventing Alcohol-Related Problems on Campus: Methods for Assessing Student Use of AOD

By William DeJong, Ph.D. and Henry Wechsler, Ph.D.

To develop effective programs and policies for reducing alcohol-related problems on campus, college administrators need to understand fully the nature and extent of these problems at their school. They can achieve this understanding only if they have reliable data on patterns of student alcohol consumption and drinking-related risk behavior. The best way to obtain these data is to conduct an annual survey using a random selection of student respondents. This guide offers a straightforward method for gathering and interpreting student survey data on alcohol-related problems. The procedure is based on the methodology used in a national college alcohol study conducted in 1993 by the Harvard School of Public Health. It can easily be adapted for all college and university campuses.

Important Note: Although the survey methodology recommended by this publication is still sound, the cited Harvard data were collected from colleges and universities in 1993. In 1997 and 1999, these institutions were resurveyed, and these results were published in 1998 and 2000. For the most recent results from the College Alcohol Study, and for links to an article comparing the 1993 and 1997 results, please go to http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/cas/.

Published by: Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention Order Info

Price: Free
SKU: HEC 104
(48 pp) Print