142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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A Descriptive Analysis of Alcohol Outlet Density around Air Force Installations in the United States

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Monday, November 17, 2014

Alicia Sparks, MPH , Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Health, Behavior & Society, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Chris Spera, PhD , U.S. Health, Abt Associates, Bethesda, MD
Background Studies of alcohol outlet density around college campuses have shown associations between high alcohol outlet density and risky alcohol consumption. Despite studies showing this connection around the college campuses, few studies have been conducted around military bases. One qualitative study found on- and off-premise alcohol in great supply. This study reported many military bases have a nearby “strip” of bars, clubs, and liquor stores, though did not present specific densities.

Methods GIS mapping was done around five Air Force bases in the U.S.: Malmstrom AF Base in Great Falls, MT; Hickham AF Base in Honolulu, HI; Luke AF Base in Phoenix, AZ; Davis-Monthan AF Base in Tucson, AZ; and Beale AF Base in Sacramento, CA. All on- and off-premise licensed alcohol establishments within a 2 mile radius of the Air Force installations were collected from the State Alcohol Beverage Control Commission in each state where our sites were located.

Results Preliminary results from Arizona found six licensed alcohol establishments within two miles of the Luke AFB and over 50 licensed alcohol establishments within two miles of the Davis-Monthan AFB. Both installations had more than one licensed establishments directly adjacent to the base. Additional states and installations will be analyzed to determine similarities across installation, population, and alcohol outlet density.

Conclusion Initial findings suggest a high number of licensed alcohol establishments within close proximity to Air Force bases.  Additional research correlating alcohol consumption and outlet density around military bases should be conducted to determine points of intervention for high risk drinking.

Learning Areas:

Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe the alcohol environment in communities surrounding Air Force installations. Understand the alcohol culture and related risks for Air Force personnel. Discuss recommendations for future research on alcohol availability in the military context.

Keyword(s): Alcohol Use, Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am 2nd year doctoral student at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. My research focuses on youth access to alcohol and environmental strategies to reduce underage alcohol consumption with a focus on the military environment. Alicia has an MPH in Health Behavior from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
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.

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