Impact of curriculum infusion on college students' drinking behaviors.

Objective: A posttest-only experimental design was used to examine the effectiveness of curriculum infusion (CI) in reducing alcohol consumption and associated negative consequences among college students.

Methods: Faculty teaching 2 identical courses during the same quarter were recruited; both classes were randomly assigned to either a treatment or control group, and alcohol information was infused into the treatment classes in addition to the regular curriculum.

Participants: A diverse group of 343 undergraduate students participated, with 179 students in the treatment classes and 164 in the control classes.

Results: No significant difference was found in alcohol consumption between the 2 groups. Students in the treatment classes reported significantly less negative consequences related to drinking than their counterparts. The effectiveness of CI was not related to subject matter and was equally effective with all students.

Conclusion: CI was effective in reducing negative drinking consequences in college students despite not affecting drinking behaviors.