Acceptability and preliminary outcomes of the Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, and Act Sexual Assault Resistance Education Program for women who use alcohol and cannabis (EAAA+): Findings from an open pilot trial.

Abstract

Objective: One in five college women experiences sexual assault (SA). Feminist scholars have called for the use of programming that empowers women by increasing their ability to recognize and resist SA. One such program, the Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act SA Resistance Education Program (EAAA), has demonstrated lower rates of SA up to 24 months (Senn et al., 2015, 2017). EAAA could be further enhanced by directly targeting women's risky alcohol and cannabis use, two known risk factors for SA, within an integrated framework. This study evaluated the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of an integrated version of EAAA with enhanced alcohol and new cannabis content.

Methods: College women (n=14) aged 18-24 who reported engaging in past-month heavy alcohol use, cannabis use, and simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use participated in the adapted program. Women completed a baseline assessment, measures of acceptability at strategic points during the program, and a post-program assessment.

Results: Women rated the program very high in likability, quality, organization, relevance, and usefulness and were likely to recommend it to other women. Overall, acceptability and usability ratings for EAAA+ were high. Content analysis of open-ended questions indicated that some women wanted more cannabis and/or alcohol content included.

Conclusion: Results indicate that the adapted content is acceptable for the target population and has promising pre-post changes on alcohol, cannabis, and SA-related outcomes.