811 MEP115 – Can alcohol consumption education improve reported alcohol knowledge and consumption behaviours in elite athletes?

AbstractBackground Harmful alcohol consumption has been associated with injuries and poor health outcomes. Athletes are more likely to consume higher levels of alcohol compared to the general population, which places them at increased risk of short- and long-term harm. To date, only one study (1992) has sought to determine the effects of an alcohol consumption education intervention in elite athletes.Objective To determine the effects of an alcohol education workshop on reported alcohol knowledge and consumption behaviours. Design Non-randomised control study.Setting Professional cricketers.Participants Division 1 (intervention) and Division 2 (control) players. Pre-intervention (Division 1, n= 120; Division 2, n=43). Post-invention (Division 1, n= 63; Division 2, n=39).Interventions Division 1 players (intervention) received a one-hour harmful alcohol consumption education workshop while Division 2 (control) did not. All players received an alcohol survey before and after the intervention period. Main Outcome Measurements Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT score), Binge Drinking score, and alcohol consumption knowledge. Data are reported in arbitrary units (AU) as mean with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Results No differences in AUDIT scores were found between Division 1 (4.3 95%CI 3.2–5.3 AU) and Division 2 (4.1. 95%CI 3.0–5.1 AU) post-intervention. Also, no differences in Binge Drinking scores were found between the two groups post intervention (Division 1, 8.8 95%CI 5.5–12.0 AU; Division 2, 9.0 95% 6.2–11.9 AU). No differences in alcohol consumption knowledge were also found between groups post intervention (Division 1 6.6 95%CI 6.0–7.2 AU vs Division 2 6.5 95% CI 5.8–7.1 AU). Conclusions The non-significant findings may be related to the intensity of the workshop and study design, as the post-intervention assessment of reported alcohol behaviours and knowledge was too close to receiving the intervention. The findings of this study though may inform future work on harmful alcohol consumption in elite athletes.