Measuring the Effectiveness of NCAA Division II Student-Athlete Alcohol Interventions: To Scare or to Educate

Alcohol-based literature suggests a relationship between alcohol interventions and a decrease in binge drinking patterns, yet there remains a gap in the collected works with respect to which method better supports a decrease in the amount of student-athlete binge drinking. Collegiate athletic administrators struggle in implementing proper alcohol interventions, specifically educational or motivational scare tactics, to deter the growing epidemic of binge drinking. This quantitative, quasi-experimental, two-group pre-test, post-test design study, along with a third non-treated control group, investigated and compared two alcohol intervention (education and motivational scare tactic) techniques measuring a reduction in student-athlete binge drinking. Given the challenges in self-assessment of alcohol consumption patterns, student-athletes undertake risky activities related to binge drinking. This quantitative study employed a pre- and post-test, accompanied by an educational or scare intervention session, to measure the impact of the intervention efforts. The researcher conducted pre- and post-test survey questionnaires from three groups (two interventions and one control) using a random sample of Bloomsburg University NCAA Division II student-athletes. Findings from the study sought to expand the literature on student-athlete alcohol consumption behaviors, provide vision to understand and correct elevated health and welfare concerns, and assist in creating and implementing integrative techniques that address student-athlete binge drinking. The results indicated that while alcohol interventions for student-athletes are impactful, there is no statistically significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores of the interventions. More importantly, the conclusions drawn direct administrators to reevaluate their educational alcohol offerings. A need for additional alcohol interventions is one method of impacting student-athlete binge drinking behaviors through education, scare, and alternative programming. Frequent and regularly-scheduled sessions to motivate change is important for the college student-athlete population. Institutional culture, when combining athletics and alcohol, needs to be reviewed and adjusted in effort to direct student-athlete alcohol behavior changes. The jock/social identity element underscores the cultural acceptance of alcohol use within athletic teams. Future research should be directed at individual sports as binge drinking is positively associated with participation.