The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #36791

Emil Chiauzzi, PhD, Inflexxion, 320 Needham Street, Suite 100, Newton, MA 02464, 617-332-6028, echiauzzi@inflexxion.com and Christina Thum, MS, Inflexxion, Inc, 320 Needham Street Suite 100, Newton, MA 02464.

This presentation describes the development and testing of My Student Body, a tailored binge drinking prevention website for college students. This website, funded by a grant from the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, is based on the Motivational Enhancement and Stages of Change models. My Student Body utilizes personal risk and lifestyle factors to tailor binge drinking information and interventions for students at all levels of risk. Students complete a confidential online questionnaire that taps personal beliefs, risky behaviors, lifestyle factors, and consequences related to alcohol. This information produces motivational feedback, and also tailors a personal website that summarizes the student's risks and highlight key topics (e.g., the risk of drinking games, "Greek" life, alcohol poisoning), strategies (e.g., study skills, moderation skills, communicating with peers), and interactive tools (e.g., Shockwave peer stories, BAC calculator, State Alcohol Laws Map, budget calculator, alcohol-medication interactions tool) that can help a student moderate or discontinue risky drinking. Students can return to the website to update their personal information and review college alcohol-related news, "Ask the Expert," and "Student Voices" (peer) information. My Student Body is currently being field tested at 6 universities and community colleges. This presentation will provide participants with a hypothetical user experience at the actual website, a review of formative research with college students (focus groups, usability testing), issues in developing the tailoring algorithm, guidelines for enhancing visual design and interactivity, and preliminary results from the field trial.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will recognize key elements in tailored messaging for college students
• Participants will identify the major components of motivational enhancement for bing drinking prevention
• Participants will be able to describe key considerations in utilizing websites as a health communication medium

Keywords: Binge Drinking, Internet

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Inflexxion Newton, MA
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: employee