College Systems Model: Addressing Student Alcohol Use and Related Problems

Created by Traci Toomey, PhD; Toben Nelson, ScD; Darin Erickson, PhD; Kathleen Lenk, MPH; Ken Winters, PhD

A significant amount of research has been conducted on the prevalence and effects of single programs and policies on college campuses related to alcohol treatment, intervention, and prevention. To be effective at reaching the entire continuum of students who may experience alcohol-related problems, campuses must do more than implement single policies or programs. Components of a comprehensive campus alcohol system include alcohol screening, intervention, treatment, prevention policy and enforcement. Recent research suggests that making multiple changes to the campus and community alcohol environment can be effective in reducing alcohol use and related problems among college students; however, the ideal combination of programs, policies and other systems changes has not been identified. See the 3-In-1 Framework developed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/
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• College Systems Model
  
  
• Campus Alcohol System
  
  

*College Systems Model is adapted from the Social Ecological Model

McLeroy, K.R., Bibeau, D., Steckler, A., and Glanz, K. "An Ecological Perspective on Health Promotion Programs." Health Education Quarterly, 1988, 15(4), 351-378.


Assessing College Alcohol Systems

To assess college alcohol systems across the U.S., we surveyed campus leaders at four-year colleges. We assessed the college alcohol systems across five domains: screening, treatment/intervention, policy, enforcement and education using latent class analysis (LCA). The created classes or groups of colleges that exhibited similar patterns of responses. Results of analyses are forthcoming.

Campus Systems Model was created in 2007 as part of Assessing Comprehensiveness and Quality of Alcohol Screening, Treatment, and Prevention Systems for Young Adults within Educational Systems, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Substance Abuse Policy Research Program (RWJF #63118). Traci Toomey, Principal Investigator; Darin Erickson, Toben Nelson and Ken Winters, Co-Investigators.

See the following published articles for research pertaining to this project:

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Winters KC, Toomey TL, Nelson TF, Erickson DJ, Lenk KM, Miazga M. Screening for alcohol problems among 4-year colleges and universities. Journal of American College Health, 59(5):350-357, 2011.

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Nelson TF, Toomey TL, Lenk KL, Erickson DJ, KM, Winters KC. Implementation of NIAAA College Drinking Task Force Recommendations: How are colleges doing 6 years later? Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, 34(10):1687-1693, 2010.