A pilot test of an alcohol skills training programme for Mexican-American college students

Hernandez, Dolores V.; Skewes, Monica C.; Resor, Michelle R.; Villanueva, Michael R.; Hanson, Brenda S.; Blume, Arthur W.

doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2006.03.002

« Previous Next »International Journal of Drug Policy
Volume 17, Issue 4 , Pages 320-328, July 2006

A pilot test of an alcohol skills training programme for Mexican-American college students

Dolores V. Hernandez
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28223-0001, USA
Monica C. Skewes
- University of Texas at El Paso, USA
Michelle R. Resor
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28223-0001, USA
Michael R. Villanueva
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28223-0001, USA
Brenda S. Hanson
- University of Texas at El Paso, USA
Arthur W. Blume
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28223-0001, USA
- Corresponding author.

Received 26 September 2005; received in revised form 11 January 2006; accepted 1 March 2006.

Abstract

The alcohol skills training program for college students (ASTP) is an empirically supported intervention to reduce the harmful consequences of drinking behaviour among college students in the United States (US). However, ASTP had not been previously tested among college student samples in other cultures. In addition, very little is known about how to intervene upon risky alcohol use among Mexican-American college students, although this population is at high risk for alcohol abuse. In this study, the ASTP was revised to meet the cultural and language needs of bilingual Mexican-American college students. Mexican-American undergraduates (N=109) attending a predominantly Latino university located along the US-Mexico border were randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups (manual-only and full ASTP). Participants were assessed at three time points (baseline, 3-month follow-up, and 12-month follow-up) to determine drinking patterns and alcohol-related consequences. Study results found that Mexican-American college students in both conditions consumed less alcohol and experienced fewer alcohol-related consequences after the intervention. The culturally relevant ASTP may be a promising harm reduction programme for Mexican-American college students, and ASTP strategies appear to be transportable into other cultures.