Evaluation of a peer-led drinking and driving primary prevention programme among university students

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate a peer-led drinking and driving (DD) prevention programme among a purposive sample of 111 University of the North (UNIN) undergraduate students aged 17 to 24. Process, post test and follow up evaluations were conducted to determine the quality, effectiveness and impact of the programme. Overall programme process ratings show that respondents perceived the programme as somewhat interesting, not really a waste of time, not really boring, somewhat understandable, not really difficult, somewhat believable, and somewhat helpful. Significant positive changes from pre test to post test were observed in the mean scores of different outcome variables, namely: traffic violations, drinking frequency, environmental factors favourable to DD, DD attitudes, behavioural intentions, knowledge as well as differential association. Furthermore, significant pre test ? follow up test changes were observed on behavioural intentions, risk behaviour and knowledge scores. Unlike at post test, there were no significant changes in other variables at follow up. The effects of the programme eroded somewhat after four months, though not to pre-test (pre-programme) levels. Maturation, if not maturation, some other factors, must account for the decay of the initial program effects over time. The failure of the programme to impact significantly on some of the measures, four months following programme implementation, is a weakness that needs to be explored in future research endeavours. Additional analyses are needed to determine why the changes were not statistically significant on some of the outcome and impact measures. Information generated from studies like the present one provides programme planners with data to support programming efforts.