Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Oct 22, 2022
Date Accepted: Apr 11, 2023
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
A Web-based Sexual Assault, Alcohol Misuse and Bystander Intervention Program for College Women (RealConsent®:Randomized Controlled Trial
ABSTRACT
Background:
Sexual violence (SV) incidence among college women has been invariant for the past 20 years. Innovative prevention strategies that are low-resource, technology-driven, but demonstrate efficacy are greatly needed.
Objective:
This study evaluated the efficacy of RealConsent®, a SV risk reduction program for first-year college women, in reducing SV victimization and alcohol misuse and in increasing alcohol protective behaviors and bystander intervention.
Methods:
This study implemented a randomized controlled trial involving N=881 first-year female college students attending one of three universities in the southeastern United States. Women aged 18 to 20 years were recruited online using email lists obtained from each respective university’s registrar’s office. Women who consented and completed a web-based baseline survey were then randomized to either RealConsent® (n=444) or to an attention-matched placebo control (n=437). RealConsent® consists of four 30-minute modules that incorporate entertainment-education media and other behavior change techniques. Participants could access RealConsent® either via the web or mobile device. The primary outcome was SV victimization; secondary outcomes were alcohol protective behaviors, dating risk behaviors, alcohol misuse, and bystander behavior. Study outcomes were assessed at baseline and 6-month follow-up.
Results:
At 6-month follow-up, among women with some victimization, women in RealConsent® experienced less SV victimization, compared to the placebo group (adjusted IRR=0.48, 95% CI: [0.33, 0.69], P<.001). Further, women in RealConsent® engaged in more alcohol protective behaviors (AOR=1.17, 95% CI: [0.12,2.22], P =.03), and were less likely to binge drink (adjusted IRR=0.81, 95% CI: [0.67, 0.97], P=.003). Finally, women in RealConsent® who had 100% dosage were more likely to engage in bystander behavior compared to women with <100% dosage plus the placebo group (AOR=1.72, 95% CI: [1.17, 2.55], P=.006).
Conclusions:
Our results support the efficacy of RealConsent® in improving multiple outcomes including SV victimization among those most at risk. Due to its web-based and mobile technologies, RealConsent® can be easily disseminated and holds potential for reducing incidence of campus SV victimization. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0372643
Citation
