Group-based Intervention for Club Patrons

This study focuses on high risk behaviors (excessive alcohol use, drug use, physical and/or
sexual aggression, and unsafe exit behaviors—e.g., drinking and driving, riding with a
drinking driver) of young adults who patronize clubs. These risk behaviors are prevalent in
clubs and drinking establishments. The goals are twofold: 1) to develop a screener that
accurately assesses a group's level of risk for one specific night of club attendance and
based upon this assessment, (2) to provide naturally occurring social groups with the
necessary skills to identify vulnerability to these high risk behaviors and to provide them
with tools to protect their members against those risks by being prepared to implement the 3
O's: a) Outreach-approach fellow group members who are at risk, (b) Options-to suggest
alternatives that would increase safety and (c) Out-to increase awareness of when it is time
to leave. This brief, interactive intervention was delivered by small tablet computers that
utilize mobile application technology and cellular wireless service. This will facilitate
later adoption in the real world, by offering low cost delivery and engagement of the young
adult population.

Specific Aim I: To test and reduce the number of screening questions necessary to develop a
risk algorithm (to predict our high risk behaviors) for social groups and to test the
feasibility of immediate onsite compilation of individual results into a group risk
algorithm.

1. To test a brief screener of individual and group indicators obtained at entrance that
predict high risk behaviors (excessive alcohol use, drug use, physical and/or sexual
aggression, and/or unsafe behaviors after exiting the club).

2. To test the onsite data collection and compilation of group-based risk indicators.

3. To develop a risk algorithm for groups that can be used in Specific Aim II. The risk
algorithm will provide an indication of how likely it is that a specific group will
experience each of the high risk behaviors.

Specific Aim II: To design and test the feasibility of a brief, group-based intervention
designed for presentation prior to entering the club and that addresses high risk behaviors
while at the clubs.

1. To design a group-based, brief intervention for delivery prior to entry, to reduce high
risk behaviors in the club.

2. To determine whether the brief intervention increases awareness of early indicators of
risk and increases the use of strategies employed by the social groups in the club.

3. To test the intervention's efficacy to reduce high risk behaviors in the club.

4. To determine the level of satisfaction with the intervention (for intervention condition
only).

Inclusion Criteria:

- Must be within age range, entering the club that night, group size must be 2 or more

Exclusion Criteria:

- working or performing at the club that night