Applying social marketing techniques to reduce problematic drinking among UK university students: a quasi-systematic review

What the paper says

Purpose University students are at a life-course stage of gaining independence in choices about health risk behaviours, including alcohol consumption. Individual, social and environmental factors within university settings contribute to the appeal of drinking. Social marketing has the potential to modify health behaviours, yet its application in alcohol reduction interventions remains unclear. This study aims to synthesise evidence on how social marketing techniques have been applied to reduce problematic drinking among UK university students. Design/methodology/approach A quasi-systematic review was conducted using CINAHL, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Academic Search Complete, PsycINFO, SportDiscus, Web of Science and Business Source Complete. A narrative synthesis was conducted to identify the social marketing techniques applied within interventions and evaluate their usefulness. Findings Eleven studies published between 2008 and 2019 met the inclusion criteria. All incorporated behavioural goal setting, consumer orientation, motivational exchange and methods mix, while fewer addressed theory, segmentation and targeting, competition or actionable insights. Application of social marketing was often ambiguous, with few interventions integrating multiple techniques. Only four studies reported significant reductions in alcohol consumption. Most studies exhibited moderate to high risk of bias, limiting confidence in their findings. Originality/value By combining multiple studies and evaluating methodological quality, this review highlights how some social marketing techniques are underused in alcohol reduction interventions among university students, a population at higher risk of harm. The authors propose a programme of research to examine the effectiveness of comprehensive integration of social marketing techniques using rigorous evaluative methods.