Logo image
How Can We Measure Alcohol Outlet Density Around Schools? A Comparison Between Two Buffer-Based Methods
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

How Can We Measure Alcohol Outlet Density Around Schools? A Comparison Between Two Buffer-Based Methods

Irene Martín-Turrero, Xisca Sureda, Francisco Escobar, Usama Bilal, Maitane Berasaluce and Roberto Valiente
Journal of urban health, v 100(3), pp 627-637
23 Jun 2023
PMID: 37351726
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-023-00740-zView
Published, Version of Record (VoR)Open Access (Publisher-Specific) Open

Abstract

GIS Bland-Altman analysis Alcohol accessibility Buffers Schools
Measuring the density of alcohol outlets around schools is a critical step towards understanding the drivers of drinking among adolescents. Different methodologies have been used in the literature for this purpose, but the implications of using one methodology or another have not been clearly assessed. Our aim was to compare different methods to measure alcohol outlet density and highlight under which characteristics of the environment might be best using each approach. We used Geographic Information Systems to geolocate schools (n = 576) and alcohol outlets (n = 21,732) in Madrid. We defined the density of alcohol outlets as the number of establishments within an area of 400 m around schools measured using two buffering methods: crow flies' and street network distances. We evaluated the agreement between both methods visually and through regression models, including street connectivity, population density, and density of recreational venues as predictors of disagreement. The density of alcohol outlets around schools was higher using crow flies' distances compared to street network distances. The differences between methodologies were wider in areas of higher density of outlets, especially in the downtown areas, where there are higher population density and street connectivity. Our results suggest that the spatial characteristics and morphology of the study area (e.g., street connectivity and population density) should be considered when deciding the methodology to be used to measure alcohol outlet density. Future studies should explore the implications of different exposure measures in their association with drinking prevalence and consumption patterns among different geographical contexts.

Metrics

10 Record Views
2 citations in Scopus

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

InCites Highlights

Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Logo image