A recent study reviewed published, peer-reviewed literature on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of substance use interventions for college students. Intervention inclusion criteria were (1) including college students as participants, (2) being implemented in a higher education setting, and (3) intending to address college student substance use. The authors searched electronic databases for articles published between 1970 and 2016 that met these criteria. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. Multiple reviewers assessed the methodological quality, level of evidence, and risk of bias for each article. Because of the variety of outcomes studied in these articles, the authors reported they were unable to perform a meta-analysis. The final analytical sample consisted of 88 articles, of which the majority (n = 70) evaluated alcohol-related interventions, 11 studied smoking interventions, three investigated drug use interventions, and four evaluated polysubstance interventions. Results indicated 90% (n = 80) of the studies were found to have low to moderate risk of bias and 72% (n = 63) had comparable study groups assessed at baseline. Blinding was only used in 18% (n = 16) of the sample. Among alcohol use interventions, a strong positive effect of interventions for reduced student alcohol consumption (n = 46) was documented, as was a strong effect for decreased blood alcohol content (BAC) (n = 8). Of the nine interventions for smoking behaviors, one study reported no effect, four reported reduced tobacco use, and four reported increased tobacco use; therefore, the authors concluded the effect of smoking interventions was uncertain. Only six studies in the sample evaluated interventions for drug-related behaviors and there was little overlap in the indicators examined across studies. The authors were unable to analyze the level of evidence and categorized it as uncertain. A limitation of this systematic review was that it did not include ‘gray’ literature (i.e., dissertations) and the majority of participants in all studies were female, which may limit the generalizability of results.

Take away: The majority of the literature in this sample evaluated the effectiveness of improving college students’ drinking behaviors. The authors found strong evidence alcohol interventions reduced these behaviors, but were unable to reach conclusions for interventions to smoking and drug use behaviors.

Plotinikoff, R.C., Costigan, S.A., Kennedy, S.G., Robards, S., Germov, J. & Wild, C. (2018). Efficacy of interventions targeting alcohol, drug and smoking behaviors in university and college students: A review of randomized controlled trials. Journal of American College Health [published online ahead of print April 13, 2018] doi: 10.1080/07448481.2018.1462821