Effects of a Brief Web-Based “Social Norms”-Intervention on Alcohol, Tobacco and Cannabis Use Among German University Students: Results of a Cluster-Controlled Trial Conducted at Eight Universities
Open accessAbstract
Background and Aim: “Social norms” (SN)-interventions are aimed at changing existing misperceptions regarding peer substance use by providing feedback on actual norms, thereby affecting personal substance use. It is unknown whether SN-intervention effects previously demonstrated in US students can be replicated in German students. The aim of the INSIST-study was to examine the effects of a web-based SN-intervention on substance use. Design: Cluster-controlled trial. Setting: Eight Universities in Germany. Participants and Measurements: Students were recruited at four intervention vs. four delayed intervention control Universities. 4,463 students completed baseline, 1,255 students (59% female) completed both baseline and 5-months follow-up web-based surveys on personal and perceived peer substance use. Intervention participants received feedback contrasting personal and perceived peer use with previously assessed use and perceptions of same-sex, same-university peers. Intervention effects were assessed via multivariable mixed logistic regression models. Findings: Relative to controls, reception of SN-feedback was associated with higher odds for decreased alcohol use (OR: 1.91, 95% CI 1.42-2.56). This effect was most pronounced in students overestimating peer use at baseline and under or accurately estimating it at follow-up (OR: 6.28, 95% CI 2.00-19.8). The OR was 1.33 (95% CI 0.67-2.65) for decreased cannabis use in students at intervention Universities and was statistically significant at 1.70 (95% CI 1.13-2.55) when contrasting unchanged and decreased with increased use. Regarding tobacco use and episodes of drunkenness, no intervention effects were found. Conclusions: This study was the first cluster-controlled trial suggesting beneficial effects of web-based SN-intervention on alcohol and cannabis use in a large sample of German University students. Clinical Trial Registration: The trial registration number of the INSIST-study is DRKS00007635 at the “German Clinical Trials Register.”
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Campus-based social norms campaigns have been shown to reduce alcohol and other drug use among college students, particularly those who overestimate the use of their peers.
“Campus-based social norms campaigns have been shown to reduce alcohol and other drug use among college students, particularly those who overestimate the use of their peers (Hembroff et al., 2021, Mattern and Neighbors, 2004, Pischke et al., 2021).”
From The substance use disorder treatment gap among US college students: Findings from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2024) · cites this paper as Pischke et al., 2021
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References 44 · Cited by 16
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- [34]SAS Institute Inc. Base SAS® 9.4 Procedures Guide. vol. 5. Cary, NC: SAS Institute Inc. (2015).
- Authors
- Pischke, C. R., Helmer, S. M., Pohlabeln, H., Muellmann, S., Schneider, S., Reintjes, R., Schmidt-Pokrzywniak, A., Girbig, M., Krämer, A., Icks, A., Walter, U., & Zeeb, H.
- Affiliations
- Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (DE)
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (DE)
- Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS (DE)
- Heidelberg University (DE)
- HAW Hamburg (DE)
- Technische Universität Dresden (DE)
- Bielefeld University (DE)
- Deutsches Diabetes-Zentrum e.V. (DE)
- Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (DE)
- University of Bremen (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Pischke, C. R.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Frontiers in Public Health
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media SA
- Published
- 2021-05-14
- Volume
- 9
- Pages
- 659875-659875
- ISSN
- 2296-2565 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC8160121
- OpenAlex
- W3161638631
- Cited by
- 16
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2
- FWCI
- 2.16
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Frontiers in Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Informationszentrum Lebenswissenschaften (ZB MED) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- PUB – Publications at Bielefeld University (Bielefeld University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Bundesministerium für Gesundheit
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Smoking Behavior and Cessation
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
- Keywords
- social norms interventions, online intervention, alcohol consumption, cannabis use, tobacco use, university students, drunkenness, German students
- MeSH terms
- Cannabis, Female, Germany, Humans, Male, Students, Nicotiana, Universities, Internet, Tobacco Products, Tobacco Use
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