Date on Paper
8-2020
Document Type
Doctoral Paper
Degree Name
D.N.P.
Department
Nursing
Committee Chair
Coty, Mary Beth
Committee Member
Staten, Ruth
Author's Keywords
alcohol screening; primary care; college students; student health services; alcohol abuse; health care providers
Abstract
Excessive alcohol use in the United States creates serious economic, health, and mortality problems (CountyHealthRankings, 2018). College students experience high rates of use, binge drinking, and 20% of college students meet the criteria for alcohol use disorder [AUD] (NIH, 2014). Screening by healthcare providers (HCPs) in the student health setting is critical and a recommended strategy for reducing negative consequences of alcohol use experienced by college students (US Preventive Services Task Force, 2018).
Aims: The objective of this project was to implement an alcohol screening program among college-age undergraduate students in a university student health center.
Methods: HCPs who work at the student health center completed a 10-item pre-test questionnaire assessing knowledge of alcohol use and abuse among college students, and implementation and interpretation of the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) instrument. HCPs participated in a 30-minute educational presentation provided by the DNP student and following completed a post-test. Subsequently, HCPs implemented a 30-day screening period using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test-C (AUDIT-C).
Results: Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics to describe the sample and assess alcohol misuse/abuse among college students and Related-samples Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test to assess differences among educational outcomes from baseline to completion of the study.
Findings: Using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test to evaluate HCP alcohol-related knowledge level, results were non-significant (p value = .084). All students who completed the AUDIT-C scored 0, which is a negative screen for alcohol misuse/abuse.
Recommended Citation
Newcomb, Tiffany Slaughter, "Alcohol misuse and abuse among college students: an implementation of a screening program." (2020). Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers. Paper 107.
Retrieved from https://ir.library.louisville.edu/dnp/107
