220572 Using GIS in partnership with community advocacy groups to affect local public health policy decisions: Project Extra Mile and alcohol consumption in Omaha

Monday, November 8, 2010 : 4:45 PM - 5:00 PM

David Corbin, PhD, FASHA , Professor, Health Education and Public Health, Professor, Women's Studies, Courtesy Professor, Gerontology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE
Jess Behrens, MSc Ecology , Health Services Research and Administration, University of Nebraska, College of Public Health, Omaha, NE
Mike Shambaugh-Miller, PhD , Health Services Research and Administration, University of Nebraska, College of Public Health, Omaha, NE
Diane E. Riibe , Project Extra Mile, Omaha, NE
Erin R. Baum, MPH , Project Extra Mile, Omaha, NE
Project Extra Mile is a statewide network of coalitions in Nebraska working to create a community consensus that clearly states that underage alcohol use is illegal, unhealthy and unacceptable. Nebraska is now at a critical time for its need to effectively begin addressing alcohol-related problems, including a nearly 25 percent increase in liquor licenses over the last seven years. The coalition has partnered with citizens, neighborhood associations and other prevention groups to address outlet density, in addition to working with UNMC. The efforts were undertaken to provide a tool for local policy makers and to advance local organizing initiatives as the coalition continues to engage municipalities in addressing licensing issues at the local level. Recently, a chain of convenience stores has applied for liquor licenses at their Omaha locations. A study of the non-compliant events at existing licenses around the 24 locations was undertaken. After plotting active and closed alcohol licenses within Douglas County, a 2 minute drive time service area buffer was created for each proposed location. These buffers were used to examine existing licenses around each proposed locations for patterns in non-compliant events and license density. It was discovered that the locations were composed of 2 smaller populations based on density and that one of the proposed locations was near a ‘hot spot' for non-compliant events. Given the correlation between license density and alcohol related harms (Campbell 2009), Project Extra Mile recommended that only those new locations with low license density and compliant records be granted licenses.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related research
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
Evaluate the impact of proposed alcohol licenses on the citizens of Omaha. Analyze the location of the proposed locations relative to surrounding licenses and non-compliant events. Differentiate proposed licenses based on surrounding alcohol license density per square mile. Formulate a policy recommendation to the appropriate, local governmental body based on this analysis.

Keywords: Alcohol Use, Geographic Information Systems

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a professor of health education and I provided data for the present study
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.