Ways college students can reduce harm during risky drinking situations
Protective Behavioral Strategies in Risky Drinking Contexts: A Mixed Method Study
This project looks at which safety strategies college students use and why, focusing on real-life risky drinking events among young adults 21 and older.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Arkansas at Fayetteville NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Fayetteville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11095872 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are a college student, researchers will ask about your typical drinking and about specific risky drinking situations and whether you used certain protective strategies. They will combine surveys (numbers) and interviews (personal stories) to find which strategies are used most often and why students choose to use or skip them. The team will link use of these strategies to drinking patterns and alcohol-related problems in different contexts. The goal is to help shape practical, situation-specific advice and programs that fit students' real-life drinking experiences.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are college-age young adults (21+) who drink alcohol and have experienced or are willing to report on risky drinking situations.
Not a fit: People under 21, non-drinkers, or individuals seeking treatment for severe alcohol use disorder may not directly benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to better, context-specific guidance and harm-reduction approaches that reduce alcohol-related problems among college students.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work shows modest benefits from teaching protective behavioral strategies, but applying and measuring them across actual risky drinking contexts is less studied and this approach is partly novel.
Where this research is happening
Fayetteville, United States
- University of Arkansas at Fayetteville — Fayetteville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zamboanga, Byron L. — University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
- Study coordinator: Zamboanga, Byron L.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.