Alcohol Prevention for University Students at Student Health Centers - a Study from Six Swedish Universities

Introduction:There is a great concern about alcohol consumption among young adults (18-25-year olds) in Sweden, as alcohol for this age group is related to a number of public health problems such as injuries, violence, unprotected sex, and drunk-driving. It is therefore a need to reach this age group with alcohol prevention programs. Since nearly half of all the young adults in Sweden are students at university level, student health centers at universities can be a potential arena for alcohol prevention. The aim of this study is to evaluate university students’ alcohol consumption, their perceptions of their own and fellow students drinking habits, as well as their perceived need for alcohol prevention among students.

Methods:During a 10-week period all students visiting six student health centers were asked about their alcohol consumption using the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test). All students received feedback on their AUDIT scores and if the AUDIT scores were above the level for hazardous and harmful alcohol use (i.e., ­ ≥8 for men, and ≥6 for women) the students were also offered brief advice.  Next the students anonymously answered a questionnaire covering an evaluation of the process, how they assessed their own and their peers’ alcohol consumption, the need for alcohol prevention among university students, and the role for student health centers in providing alcohol prevention programs.

Results: During the winter of 2013 a total of 680 students were asked to participate in the study and 628 filled out the AUDIT.  Slightly fewer students responded to the survey (546 students). Almost half, 44.7 %, scored above the level for hazardous and harmful alcohol use. Students were not surprised nor found it to be sensitive to answer questions on their alcohol use. About 40% had been worried about their own drinking habits and more than half of the total sample reported being worried about alcohol drinking habits among their peers. The majority of the students reported that there is a need for student health centers to address alcohol use among students.

Conclusion: This study indicates that it is feasible to implement alcohol prevention in the university setting in Sweden. In addition, the conditions for implementing alcohol prevention programs at student health centers are favorable as the target group find that there is a need for prevention in this area.