Domestic and International Strategies for Prevention Research On Young Adult High Risk Behaviors in Drinking Establishments

Domestic and international research indicates that drinking establishments (e.g., bars, clubs) are locations where young adults engage in high risk behaviors including drug use, over-intoxication, combined alcohol and drug use, poly substance use, as well as related risk behaviors (e.g., sexual and HIV risk, physical and sexual aggression, driving under the influence, and other unsafe exit strategies).  These establishments provide prime venues for prevention research, and offer opportunities for implementing public health and safety strategies to reduce high risk behaviors. Type 2 translational research/science calls for research that that is conducted with practical applications in real-world settings. However, research in real-world community settings, such as bars and clubs where use of alcohol and drugs is high and related risk behaviors occur, are challenging for various reasons. This roundtable discussion will focus on the benefits and advantages of conducting research in drinking establishments, strategies for successfully overcoming the barriers, and reasons why these locations can become part of a successful public health approach for reaching young adults, especially those who may not be reached in college or other traditional settings, and addressing complex and inter-related health risk behaviors. The Chair and discussants will use the key topics below in order to engage the audience in an interactive discussion.

- Developing effective community partnerships to facilitate venue-based research, including reasons for successful and unsuccessful partnerships, strategies for initiating contact, maintaining communication for successful research and intervention work, and avoiding potential pitfalls.

- Designing research that works in “real world” establishments, including innovation and effectiveness of portal methodology, recruitment strategies from real world settings, multiple data collection methods (e.g., surveys, biomarker samples, ethnography), and assessing intervention fidelity and insuring high quality research in “real world” establishments.

- Identifying establishments that will provide samples that “fit” the research aims of the study, including how to identify establishments popular with high risk subgroups (e.g., LGBT youth, young men who have sex with men, homeless youth).

- Working with collaborators to disseminate research findings to the larger community that can be accepted in “real world” settings and encourage policymakers to formulate prevention policies that are research based and beneficial for both establishments and communities.

- Successfully seeking funding for implementing venue-based research, including recommendations of important elements to include in proposals and how to demonstrate to funders the investigator’s ability to carry out proposed research.