Screening for Alcohol Problems Among 4-Year Colleges and Universities
Each week, the Higher Education Center showcases recent developments in the field of AOD abuse and violence prevention in higher education that may include new data and resources, upcoming events and programs, funding opportunities, and learning opportunities. To see a listing of previous This Week! features, visit the This Week! archive.
July 22, 2011
Researchers at the University of Minnesota conducted an online survey of directors of health services at 333 four-year colleges regarding the use of alcohol screening tools. The survey results showed that 44 percent of colleges reported use of at least one formal alcohol screening tool and nearly all of these used a tool appropriate for college students. However, fewer than half of the 44 percent of colleges that used a screening tool used one of the four most favorable tools. The researchers concluded that continued efforts are needed to encourage colleges to use the most effective available screening tools to identify alcohol-related problems that require intervention among students.
Results are published in the Journal of American College Health.
Winters, K. C., Toomey, T., Nelson, T. F., Erickson, D., Lenk, K., & Miazga, M. (2011). Screening for alcohol problems among 4-year colleges and universities. Journal of American College Health, 59(5), 350–357.

