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MyStudentBody.com

MyStudentBody.com is an online, subscription-based program that provides motivational feedback and wellness education about alcohol use and abuse as well as related issues. The program targets 18- to 24-year-old college students--a population with a high incidence of reported binge drinking and related health risks--and can be implemented as a Web-based health resource or an educational course. MyStudentBody.com is based on Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS), which uses personalized motivational feedback to reduce alcohol use and its consequences and risk factors. (BASICS was reviewed separately by NREPP.)

After logging in to MyStudentBody.com for the first time, the student answers questions about his or her alcohol use, the risks and consequences of alcohol use, and his or her beliefs about drinking. The program provides immediate, tailored feedback that is based on the responses of the student, who has the option of printing a personal report. The program's content highlights the student's personal risk factors and provides the student with articles, strategies (e.g., coping with fraternity life, staying safe during spring break), and interactive tools related to alcohol and drinking on campus, as well as health resources available at his or her specific institution. The program also includes an educational course for use by at-risk populations (e.g., new students, athletes, sorority and fraternity members, students under disciplinary sanctions). Although the program's health resources can be accessed at any time, one course session must be completed before the next one can be accessed. In addition, students taking the course must complete pre- and posttests, which assess their knowledge about alcohol use, alcohol abuse, and related issues.

MyStudentBody.com has a component for administrators, and at least one on-campus program administrator must devote approximately 3 hours to the initial program setup, which involves customizing the program Web site, being trained in program installation, receiving additional information on disseminating the program, and learning how to respond to students' questions. Program administrators also learn how to retrieve students' aggregated pre- and posttest data. In addition, MyStudentBody.com includes a parent component, which administrators can offer to families to provide them with resources for discussing sensitive topics and helping students make a healthy transition to college life. In order to maintain its consistency with the current evidence base and to maximize the use of currently available technology, MyStudentBody.com is updated regularly.

Although MyStudentBody.com can be used with a general population of college students, the study reviewed for this summary focused on college students who were heavy drinkers.

Descriptive Information

Areas of Interest Substance abuse prevention
Substance abuse treatment
Outcomes Review Date: February 2011
1: Persistent heavy binge drinking
2: Special occasion drinking
3: Alcohol-related problem behaviors
Outcome Categories Alcohol
Ages 18-25 (Young adult)
Genders Male
Female
Races/Ethnicities Asian
Black or African American
Hispanic or Latino
White
Race/ethnicity unspecified
Settings School
Geographic Locations Urban
Suburban
Implementation History MyStudentBody.com was first implemented in 2000. Since then, it has been implemented by more than 195 colleges, universities, and community colleges in 34 States and, internationally, in Ireland.
NIH Funding/CER Studies Partially/fully funded by National Institutes of Health: No
Evaluated in comparative effectiveness research studies: No
Adaptations No population- or culture-specific adaptations of the intervention were identified by the developer.
Adverse Effects No adverse effects, concerns, or unintended consequences were identified by the developer.
IOM Prevention Categories Indicated

Quality of Research
Review Date: February 2011

Documents Reviewed

The documents below were reviewed for Quality of Research. The research point of contact can provide information regarding the studies reviewed and the availability of additional materials, including those from more recent studies that may have been conducted.

Study 1

Chiauzzi, E., Green, T. C., Lord, S., Thum, C., & Goldstein, M. (2005). My Student Body: A high-risk drinking prevention Web site for college students. Journal of American College Health, 53(6), 263-274.  Pub Med icon

Outcomes

Outcome 1: Persistent heavy binge drinking
Description of Measures Alcohol consumption among persistent heavy binge drinkers was assessed with the Daily Drinking Questionnaire, a self-report measure used by students to detail their drinking behavior over a typical 1-week period. A composite score of alcohol consumption was derived from past-week average consumption, binge episodes, and maximum drinks consumed on a drinking day.

Binge drinking was defined as consuming five or more drinks for men and four or more drinks for women, per drinking occasion, at least once in the past week. Persistent heavy binge drinkers were defined as those who engaged in binge drinking at pretest, posttest, and 3-month follow-up.
Key Findings Participants who were designated as persistent heavy binge drinkers were randomly assigned to the intervention group, which received access to MyStudentBody.com, or the attention control group, which received access to a Web site that provided only educational content related to the effects of excessive drinking. From pre- to posttest, persistent heavy binge drinkers in the intervention group had a greater decrease in alcohol consumption relative to those in the attention control group (p = .03). At the 3-month follow-up, persistent heavy binge drinkers in the intervention group experienced a delayed increase in average drinks per drinking day relative to those in the attention control group (p = .03).
Studies Measuring Outcome Study 1
Study Designs Experimental
Quality of Research Rating 1.8 (0.0-4.0 scale)
Outcome 2: Special occasion drinking
Description of Measures Special occasion drinking was assessed with an enhanced version of the Daily Drinking Questionnaire, which included the use of calendars (modeled on the Timeline Followback method). Students used this self-report measure to detail their drinking over the past 3 months on special occasions (e.g., homecoming, holidays, pub nights).
Key Findings Participants who were designated as binge drinkers were randomly assigned to the intervention group, which received access to MyStudentBody.com, or the attention control group, which received access to a Web site that provided only educational content related to the effects of excessive drinking. From pretest to 3-month follow-up:

  • Female students in the intervention group had a greater reduction in their alcohol consumption during special occasions relative to those in the attention control group (p = .04).
  • Male students in each group had a reduction in their alcohol consumption during special occasions; however, these results were not significant for either group.
Studies Measuring Outcome Study 1
Study Designs Experimental
Quality of Research Rating 2.1 (0.0-4.0 scale)
Outcome 3: Alcohol-related problem behaviors
Description of Measures Alcohol-related problem behaviors were measured with the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index, a self-administered screening tool for assessing negative behaviors related to drinking among young people. Problems include school-related issues, interpersonal difficulties, inability to control the need for alcohol, and work-related problems.
Key Findings Participants who were designated as binge drinkers were randomly assigned to the intervention group, which received access to MyStudentBody.com, or the attention control group, which received access to a Web site that provided only educational content related to the effects of excessive drinking. From pretest to 3-month follow-up:

  • Female students in the intervention group had fewer alcohol-related problem behaviors relative to those in the attention control group (p = .047).
  • No significant differences in alcohol-related problem behaviors were found for male students in either group.
Studies Measuring Outcome Study 1
Study Designs Experimental
Quality of Research Rating 1.7 (0.0-4.0 scale)

Study Populations

The following populations were identified in the studies reviewed for Quality of Research.

Study Age Gender Race/Ethnicity
Study 1 18-25 (Young adult) 54% Female
46% Male 		73.2% White
11.3% Asian
7.5% Hispanic or Latino
4.5% Race/ethnicity unspecified
3.4% Black or African American

Quality of Research Ratings by Criteria (0.0-4.0 scale)

External reviewers independently evaluate the Quality of Research for an intervention's reported results using six criteria:

For more information about these criteria and the meaning of the ratings, see Quality of Research.

Outcome Reliability
of Measures 		Validity
of Measures 		Fidelity Missing
Data/Attrition 		Confounding
Variables 		Data
Analysis 		Overall
Rating
1: Persistent heavy binge drinking 0.0 2.0 0.5 2.0 2.5 4.0 1.8
2: Special occasion drinking 2.5 2.5 1.0 1.0 2.0 3.5 2.1
3: Alcohol-related problem behaviors 2.5 2.5 1.0 0.0 1.0 3.0 1.7

Study Strengths

One of the measures was based on the Timeline Followback alcohol measure, which is well researched and has acceptable reliability estimates and concurrent and external validity. The study also included the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index, which is widely used and has good psychometric properties, including good face validity. The intervention is clearly described and is based on a well-known model. The attention control group received a minimal intervention that was similar in dose and duration to that received by the intervention group. The sample size was adequate. Analytic methods were appropriate, and outcomes data were thoroughly examined.

Study Weaknesses

The Daily Drinking Questionnaire is not well documented psychometrically. Intervention fidelity was not well documented; the study only reported results from participants' evaluation of their satisfaction with the intervention. Although the study provides detailed information on when participants logged in to the program, it gives no information about participants' use of the program (i.e., what they were exposed to). Over the course of the study, 20% of all participants were lost to follow-up or dropped out of the study. No information is given as to whether the attrition at follow-up was equally distributed across the study groups, although the study article suggests that there was differential attrition (gender by group). The study article indicates that there was a flaw in the random assignment and a decision was made to keep ineligible participants in the study because they had been randomly assigned; however, no additional information is given about these participants. Analyses did not account for factors that can have an effect on drinking behaviors, such as school culture, academic rigor, campus policies, and group differences in living arrangements (e.g., living at home, off campus, or on campus).
Readiness for Dissemination
Review Date: February 2011

Materials Reviewed

The materials below were reviewed for Readiness for Dissemination. The implementation point of contact can provide information regarding implementation of the intervention and the availability of additional, updated, or new materials.

Program Web site, http://www.MyStudentBody.com, including the following materials:

  • Bulk registration instructions
  • Co-branding/marketing collateral
  • Communication templates
  • Computer screen saver
  • Implementation guide
  • Login instructions for students
  • Reporting instructions
  • Video tour

Other program materials:

  • Baseline report worksheet
  • Case studies
  • Getting Started With MyStudentBody: Quick Start Guide
  • MyStudentBody Quick Start Checklist
  • MyStudentBody Requirement Timeline
  • Planning worksheet

Readiness for Dissemination Ratings by Criteria (0.0-4.0 scale)

External reviewers independently evaluate the intervention's Readiness for Dissemination using three criteria:

  1. Availability of implementation materials
  2. Availability of training and support resources
  3. Availability of quality assurance procedures

For more information about these criteria and the meaning of the ratings, see Readiness for Dissemination.

Implementation
Materials 		Training and Support
Resources 		Quality Assurance
Procedures 		Overall
Rating
3.5 2.4 3.3 3.0

Dissemination Strengths

The highly interactive program Web site presents tools and information for students, school administrators, and parents, and it addresses health promotion and risk reduction. A printable implementation guide describes many program requirements, steps for implementation, and challenges to implementing a Web-based program. The intervention uses multiple prevention strategies, including environmental approaches that address policy and social norms. Roles to be performed by various school staff are described clearly. Schools seeking to implement the program can receive assistance from an implementation specialist. The Web site includes online surveys that can be easily integrated into existing programs to capture pre- and posttest data.

Dissemination Weaknesses

The program provides little guidance for handling programmatic issues that may occur during implementation, including working effectively with different types of students, or modifying or adapting the program. Little information is given in regard to issues concerning the long-term commitment needed from multiple campus stakeholders for program implementation (e.g., buy-in from campus leadership, current policy environment, availability of staff and resources). Program materials do not clearly describe the training and what it includes, nor do they provide sufficient information on customer support. Limited instruction is given on how implementers should use the data that are collected through the online surveys.
Costs

The cost information below was provided by the developer. Although this cost information may have been updated by the developer since the time of review, it may not reflect the current costs or availability of items (including newly developed or discontinued items). The implementation point of contact can provide current information and discuss implementation requirements.

Item Description Cost Required by Developer
MyStudentBody.com program subscription (includes all implementation, training, technical, and quality assurance materials)
  • For a 1-year subscription: $8,100
  • For a 3-year subscription: yearly payments of $5,000 or a one-time payment of $13,500
  • For a 5-year subscription: yearly payments of $4,400 or a one-time payment of $19,800
 		Yes
Login instructions for students and staff Free Yes
Phone consultation for implementation Free Yes
Implementation guide Free No
Communication templates Free No
Marketing materials Free No
Computer screen saver Free No
Video tour Free No
Case studies Free No
Quick start guide Free No
Quick start checklist Free No
Baseline report worksheet Free No
Requirement timeline Free No
Technical assistance via phone or email Free No
Reporting instructions and self-service data analysis Free No
Replications

No replications were identified by the developer.
Contact Information

To learn more about implementation, contact:
Amy Cavender
(800) 848-3895 ext 205
acavender@inflexxion.com

To learn more about research, contact:
Emil Chiauzzi, Ph.D.
(800) 848-3895 ext 229
echiauzzi@inflexxion.com

Consider these Questions to Ask (PDF, 54KB) as you explore the possible use of this intervention.

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