Dynamic social network analysis of a brief alcohol intervention trial in heavy-drinking college students shows spillover effects.

Background: Heavy-drinking college students tend to have close social networks, and there is theoretical and empirical support for the idea that behavior change can spread through those networks via close ties. The objective of this research was to determine whether intervention-induced behavior change in a subset of heavy drinkers in a sociometric (whole) college class-year social network is transmitted to other heavy drinkers in the network, resulting in reduced behavioral risk and change in network ties.

Methods: We conducted a controlled trial in which most of a first-year college class (N = 1236; 56.9% female) was enrolled, with alcohol use and social network ties measured early in each of three semesters. Following a baseline assessment, the network was divided into two groups, brief motivational intervention (BMI) and natural history control (NHC) according to dormitory residence location. A subset of heavy drinkers in each group was selected, and those in the BMI group received an in-person intervention.

Results: Using stochastic actor-oriented modeling, we found a significant tendency for participants in the BMI group to shed ties with individuals with similar drinking behaviors between the first and second semesters, relative to the NHC group. Furthermore, heavy drinkers with reciprocal ties to intervention recipients in the BMI group showed a significant reduction in drinks per week.

Conclusions: Individual alcohol interventions appear to have effects both on behavior and network connections among individuals who did not receive the intervention. Continued research is needed to identify the optimal conditions for the diffusion of behavior change.