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"Most First Years"

Project Description

The University of Virginia has approximately 18,500 undergraduate, graduate and first-professional students.

In the spring of 1999, the Office of Health Promotion administered the first Health Promotion Survey to a random sample of first-year students. The survey combined items from many nationally recognized and validated instruments and was designed to collect information about students' alcohol-related behaviors, perceptions, attitudes and knowledge. The survey was administered to first-year students again in the spring of 2000.

For the 2001 academic year, the survey was renamed the Health Promotion Alcohol and Other Drug Survey and administered via the world wide web to a random sample of all undergraduate students. (Note: A sample size of 4,864 randomly selected students was determined in consultation with statisticians from the University of Virginia's Center for Survey Research.) To promote honesty in self-reporting, the survey was anonymous and participation was voluntary. (I.e., the host site did not retain the ISP address of the machine submitting data for the survey and it did not record the web browser that a respondent used to complete the survey.) A total of 1,635 completed surveys were collected and analyzed using SPSS with guidance from independent statisticians.

Project Funding Source

In its development stage, this social norm campaign was totally supported with funds from the Student Health budget, including all salary, benefit, and facility costs.

Subsequent funding was secured from the Anheuser-Busch Companies. Out of this unrestricted gift, 40% of the total programmatic costs were initially covered; this has since increased to 60% of the total programmatic costs.

Project Objective

To reduce the average number of weekly drinks by 10% among first year students as measured by the spring 2000 Health Promotion Survey.

Baseline Data and Primary Normative Messages

Baseline data revealed a number of number of normative behaviors. The normative messages developed included:
  • 82% of First Years have not performed poorly on a test or important project due to drinking.
  • 82% of First Years did/do not drink and drive.
  • The majority of First Years agree that it is important to stay in control when drinking.
  • The majority of First years have not missed a class due to drinking.
  • 83% of first years have not damaged property due to drinking.
  • The majority of First Years agree that they can enjoy themselves at an alcohol-free social event.
More recent messages (Spring 2002) promulgated in the "HOO Knew?" campaign include:
  • 70% of UVA students have 0-4 drinks when they go out.
  • 69% of UVA First-Years have 0-4 drinks/week.
  • 70% of First-Years say drinking is not a central part of their social lives.

Marketing Methods Employed

Stall Seat Journal (i.e., a poster series placed in bathroom stalls) and a web site.

Spring 2002 audience penetration data showed that 93.6% of first-year students in the sample reported seeing a Stall Seat Journal poster at least once, with 91.4% seeing the Journal twice or more.

Project Results (to date)

Among the findings reported in Spring 2002:
  • From 1999 to 2002, the median number of drinks consumed per week has declined among UVA's First Year students from 3 per week (in 1999) to 1 per week (in 2002).
  • This reduction in actual drinks per week was paralleled by a change in perception. In 1999, 8 was the median number of drinks perceived to be consumed per week among UVA's First-Years. By 2002, the median number had declined to 4.
  • Among UVA First-Year men, a four-year comparison reveals that the perceived drinks per week dropped from a median of 8 drinks in 1999 to 4 drinks in 2002. This was accompanied by a decline in actual consumption, which declined from a median of 4 drinks per week in 1999 to 1 drink per week in 2002.
  • Among UVA First-Year women, a four-year comparison reveals that the perceived drinks per week dropped from a median of 8 drinks in 1999 to 5 drinks in 2002. This was accompanied by a decline in actual consumption, which dropped from a median of 2 drinks per week in 1999 to 0 drinks per week in 2002.
  • The median number of drinks per week among all Greek first-year students dropped from 10 in 1999 to 5 in 2002.
  • The median number of drinks per week among Greek first-year men dropped from 15 in 1999 to 7 in 2002.
  • The median number of drinks per week among Greek first-year women dropped from 8 in 1999 to 4 in 2002.
  • The negative consequences due to drinking among all UVA undergraduate students showed a downward trend in all measures, e.g., driving under the influence, having unprotected sex, being involved in a fight, and going to the emergency room.

Project Director

Jennifer Bauerle, M.Ed.
University of Virginia
Social Marketing Coordinator
Elson Student Health Center
400 Brandon Avenue
PO Box 800760
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Tel 804.924.1512
Email [email protected]

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