Barnett Nancy P, Light John M, Clark Melissa A, Ott Miles Q, DiGuiseppi Graham T, Meisel Matthew K
Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
Oregon Research Institute, Eugene, Oregon, USA.
Alcohol Clin Exp Res (Hoboken). 2024 Feb;48(2):375-388. doi: 10.1111/acer.15237. Epub 2024 Jan 19.
Heavy-drinking college students tend to have close social networks, and there is theoretical and empirical support for the idea that behavior change can spread through those networks via close ties. The objective of this research was to determine whether intervention-induced behavior change in a subset of heavy drinkers in a sociometric (whole) college class-year social network is transmitted to other heavy drinkers in the network, resulting in reduced behavioral risk and change in network ties.
We conducted a controlled trial in which most of a first-year college class (N = 1236; 56.9% female) was enrolled, with alcohol use and social network ties measured early in each of three semesters. Following a baseline assessment, the network was divided into two groups, brief motivational intervention (BMI) and natural history control (NHC) according to dormitory residence location. A subset of heavy drinkers in each group was selected, and those in the BMI group received an in-person intervention.
Using stochastic actor-oriented modeling, we found a significant tendency for participants in the BMI group to shed ties with individuals with similar drinking behaviors between the first and second semesters, relative to the NHC group. Furthermore, heavy drinkers with reciprocal ties to intervention recipients in the BMI group showed a significant reduction in drinks per week.
Individual alcohol interventions appear to have effects both on behavior and network connections among individuals who did not receive the intervention. Continued research is needed to identify the optimal conditions for the diffusion of behavior change.
大量饮酒的大学生往往拥有紧密的社交网络，行为改变可以通过这些紧密联系在社交网络中传播，这一观点得到了理论和实证支持。本研究的目的是确定在一个社会测量学（整体）的大学班级年度社交网络中，对一部分重度饮酒者进行干预所引发的行为改变是否会传播给网络中的其他重度饮酒者，从而降低行为风险并改变网络联系。
我们进行了一项对照试验，纳入了大部分一年级大学生（N = 1236；56.9%为女性），在三个学期的每学期初测量饮酒情况和社交网络联系。在基线评估之后，根据宿舍居住位置将社交网络分为两组，即简短动机干预组（BMI）和自然史对照组（NHC）。在每组中选取一部分重度饮酒者，BMI组的参与者接受了面对面干预。
使用面向行为者的随机模型，我们发现与NHC组相比，BMI组参与者在第一学期和第二学期之间有明显倾向于减少与饮酒行为相似者的联系。此外，与BMI组干预接受者有双向联系的重度饮酒者每周饮酒量显著减少。
个体酒精干预似乎对未接受干预的个体的行为和网络联系都有影响。需要继续开展研究以确定行为改变传播的最佳条件。
