Evaluation of iSTART: A Novel Substance Use Prevention Web-App Designed for Diverse College Students

There is little research assessing substance use prevention programs designed for first generation, working, and ethnic minority college students. This study assessed the effectiveness of a multi-substance web-app prevention program implemented at a Hispanic Serving Institution in southern California. Participants (N = 1066) were randomly assigned to either a control, comparison, or 5 module web-app condition. Surveys assessing substance specific knowledge, perceived health risks, normative peer use, and past 30-day alcohol, cannabis, nicotine, and illicit drug use were administered at baseline, exit, and 90-day follow-up. At exit and 90-day follow up, students assigned to the web-app had significantly greater gains in substance specific knowledge, more accurate perceptions of campus peers’ substance use, and the health risks associated with substance use than comparison or control group students. Moreover, web-app students had lower incidence rates of alcohol, cannabis, nicotine, and illicit drug use at exit with effects evident at 90-day follow up for alcohol, cannabis, and illicit drug use but not nicotine use. Given young adults preference for web-based technology, our findings underscore the benefits of developing, adopting, and implementing culturally sensitive substance use prevention programming using mHealth technology among diverse college populations.