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Twenty-five-year changes in alcohol environment in US metropolitan areas: Examining patterns by area level sociodemographic characteristics
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Twenty-five-year changes in alcohol environment in US metropolitan areas: Examining patterns by area level sociodemographic characteristics

Jingjing Li, Mariana Lazo, Usama Bilal, Loni P. Tabb, Jana A. Hirsch, Gina S. Lovasi, Steven Melly and Brisa N. Sánchez
Cities, v 167, 106326
Dec 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2025.106326
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12391917/View
Submitted PubMed Central

Abstract

Alcohol environment profiles Changing trajectories On- and off-premises alcohol outlets Parallel-process latent class growth analysis Sociodemographic disparities
Limiting the availability of alcohol is one of the most effective approaches for reducing alcohol misuse and its health consequences. However, few studies have examined the changing trajectories of alcohol environment characterized jointly by on- and off-premises outlets and their sociodemographic disparities. We aimed to (1) explore 25-year profiles of changes in the alcohol environment in urban areas in the U.S.; and (2) examine sociodemographic disparities in these changes. We used parallel-process latent class growth analyses to identify profiles of changes in the alcohol environment, based on the availability of both on-premises and off-premises outlets. We employed conditional multinomial models to examine associations between profiles of change in the alcohol environment and sociodemographic characteristics at census tract level. We identified 6 distinct profiles that outlined variations in availability of on- and off-premises alcohol outlets and change trajectories, and found variability in these trajectories across racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Tracts with a higher percentage of Blacks and other minoritized populations had higher odds of being in alcohol environment classes featuring high/medium density of alcohol outlets and increasing trends of on-premises outlets. Additionally, tracts with lower income and lower percentage of residents with college degree had higher odds of having medium and high density of alcohol outlets and increasing in on-premises outlets over time. Differences by area level income and education were greater for Blacks and other minority racial/ethnic groups. Since alcohol outlets often require licensing to open, our results suggest that policy-level interventions are needed to reduce racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities. •We identified 6 latent class profiles that outlined variations in alcohol outlets and change trajectories during 1990-2014•We found a variability in these trajectories across racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups•The density of on-premises outlets rose in tracts with more minoritized people and in tracts with low SES•Differences by area income and education were greater for Blacks and other minority racial/ethnic groups.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Urban Studies
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