| Methods |
Non‐randomised controlled trial, unit of allocation = bar. |
| Participants |
Australia
Experimental = 7 premises.
Control = 7 premises. |
| Interventions |
Server training
Responsible service training programme, approximately 1‐2 hours long. Participants were paid their regular hourly rate to attend.
Core components;
1) laws regarding the serving of juveniles and drunken people
2) recognising the signs of intoxication
3) strategies for dealing with drunken customers*
4) alcohol and its effect
5) developing responsible house policies*
(*elements were not fully covered in all training workshops and in some cases omitted) |
| Outcomes |
Drink driving offences (obtained from police reports).
Behaviour of patrons (alcohol consumption, measured by breath test).
Self‐reported server behaviour (measured by questionnaires).
Observed server behaviour (using pseudo‐drunks).
Knowledge (in trained servers only) measured by questionnaires. |
| Notes |
Inconsistencies in the standard of training and coverage of topics reported. |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Adequate sequence generation? |
High risk |
Seven out of 50 bars which were eligible and agreed to participate were used as the experimental group. Seven control bars were then selected. |
| Allocation concealment? |
Unclear risk |
No information reported. |
| Blinding?
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Research assistants and pseudo‐patrons were not informed of the design of the study or allocation status.
Drink driving data were obtained from police reports. |
| Confounders |
Unclear risk |
The control bars were each selected to match one of the experimental bars according to risk status, licence type and total alcohol purchases. |
| Data collection methods |
Unclear risk |
Knowledge questionnaire, 56.9% of the trained servers completed the follow‐up questionnaire.
Observations of server behaviour using actors as pseudo‐drunks made at each site pre and post intervention, total of 78 visits made.
Drink driving data were extracted from official records.
Patron interviews, overall 2375/3191 of patrons consented to be surveyed (74.4%). For refusals an observed assessment of drunkenness was recorded. |
| Withdrawals & dropouts |
Unclear risk |
One experimental bar refused to participate in the patron exit surveys. |
| Intervention integrity |
Unclear risk |
61% of available servers were trained, at follow‐up 25 of trained servers had left their job. |
| Duration of follow‐up |
Unclear risk |
Knowledge questionnaires were administered before and three months after intervention.
Observations of server behaviour were made before (length of pre‐test period not stated) and three months after intervention.
Drink driving data were collected for nine months before and three months after training.
Patron behaviour through interviews. |
