College drinking parent-based interventions (PBIs) are programs offered to college students’ parents prior to moving to campus to help reduce their students’ risk of alcohol related consequences. Two common themes of PBIs are zero tolerance, not approving of or condoning alcohol use, and harm reduction, strategies focused on minimizing and reducing alcohol use and risk. Researchers have wondered what factors determine if a parent decides to participate PBIs and what leads parents to take a zero tolerance or harm reduction approach to alcohol use among their children. This study examines the differences between parents who sign up for PBIs focused on college drinking versus those who did not and how this may affect student alcohol consumption.  

The study’s sample consisted of 386 first-year students from a university on the west coast of the United States. Students were asked to complete a survey two weeks prior to the start of fall semester. Participants were asked to report their drinking history over the past 30 days, the number of drinks their parents would allow them to consume on a typical occasion during the next year, and if their parents had become less strict about drinking after high school graduation. Students were also asked to rate how similar a variety of harm reduction and zero tolerance statement were to what their parents would say to them. Finally, three months after the start of the semester parents/guardians were emailed an non-incentivized invitation to join a PBI program. Data was analyzed using chi-squares analyses and independent samples t-tests.  

Results of the data analysis showed that 24.6% of parents signed up to participate in the college drinking PBI. Parents who signed up were higher on harm-reduction communication and more likely to allow students to use alcohol. Signing up was also associated with participant reports that fathers became less strict toward drinking after high school graduation. Zero-tolerance communication did not differ based on parent sign-up status. Harm-reduction communication, greater leniency towards drinking after high school, and parental approval of drinking was associated with more alcohol consumption. Greater zero-tolerance communication was linked to never having tried alcohol.   

Takeaway: Students’ reports of parent behaviors and attitudes toward alcohol consumption may provide predictive value when assessing parental choice to participate in college drinking parent-based intervention.   

Morgan, R.M., Trager, B.M., LaBrie, J.W., Boyle, S.C.. Evaluating Non-response Bias in a Parent-Based College Alcohol Intervention. Substance Use and Misuse. 2022;57(8):1287-1293. doi:10.1080/10826084.2022.2077377