Contrasting Methods of Measurement in Spatial Analyses Examining the Alcohol Environment and Child Maltreatment

Child physical abuse is a major public health issue in the United States. Environmental child welfare research has focused on neighborhood characteristics and the influence of alcohol and marijuana establishments. To our knowledge, child welfare studies have singularly examined the outcome in terms of victims, that is, at the level of child population, and have not considered the parent population. Thus, in this exploratory study, we use spatial scan statistics to analyze patterns of child physical abuse at the child and household level, and we use Bayesian hierarchical spatial conditional autoregressive models to determine the relative influence of alcohol availability and other environmental factors. We find that household clusters are nested in child clusters and that controlling for alcohol establishments reduces cluster size. In the Bayesian regression models, alcohol availability increased risk slightly, while neighborhood diversity (measured using Blau’s Index) elevated risk considerably. Immediate implications for child welfare agencies are discussed.

The role of deprivation and alcohol availability in shaping trends in violent crime

It is well known that both deprivation and alcohol availability are associated with violent crime. However, less is known about whether the former moderates the latter. Pioneering the linkage of novel alcohol availability measures derived from consumer data with police data and an index of deprivation, we examine inequalities in violent crime across small-level geography (LSOAs) for the whole of England. Our findings confirmed a recent upward trend in recorded violent crime in England between 2011 and 2018 and substantial between-area variability in recorded violent crime, as well as an increase in violent crime inequality across LSOAs during the period of analysis. Violent crime was higher in areas with increased deprivation and alcohol availability, especially in the form of on-licensed premises. On-licence availability, in the form of pubs, bars and nightclubs, explained variability in recorded violent crime more so when compared with off-licence availability. A positive interaction effect between alcohol availability (in the form of on-licensed premises) and deprivation showed how deprivation amplified the impact of alcohol availability, with more deprived areas having a stronger impact of on-licence availability on violent crime. Deprivation is thus an important contextual factor when considering rates and the social ecology of violence. Our findings suggest a need to respond to the disproportionate impact of violence on areas with higher levels of deprivation and availability of on-licensed premises.

An examination of retailers’ compliance with the minimum legal drinking (purchasing) age law in Slovenia: A quasi-experimental intervention study

Introduction Alcohol consumption among young people is strongly related to alcohol availability. The minimum legal drinking (purchasing) age (MLDA) is a legal measure that regulates alcohol availability to minors in Slovenia. This study examines (1) retailers’ compliance with the MLDA law in Slovenia and (2) the effectiveness of two interventions directed at cashiers in off-premise stores. Methods The study uses a non-randomized quasi-experimental design to evaluate the effectiveness of (1) a communication intervention directed at off-premise store managers, and (2) an intervention by the Slovene Market Inspectorate. The first intervention focused on informing cashiers about MLDA’s importance and their role as gatekeepers of young people’s health, while the second involved law enforcement. Using the mystery shopping protocol, we conducted two waves of purchase attempts with decoy underage shoppers pre- and post-intervention in 97 off-premise stores. We collected data on the shopping process at the point of sale and conducted 40 semistructured interviews with cashiers to evaluate the barriers and incentives regarding MLDA compliance. Results Retailers’ initial noncompliance rate with MLDA in off-premise stores was high, but improved significantly after the law enforcement intervention. We identified a significant correlation between the cashiers’ ID requests and the refusal of alcohol sales, but cashiers’ ID requests remained low. Qualitative findings reveal that cashiers experience several issues when handling MLDA in practice. Conclusion Noncompliance with MLDA persisted even after the law enforcement intervention, revealing the need for policy makers to introduce new strategies for MLDA enforcement, such as revocable alcohol licenses for off-premise stores.

Availability, Promotion, and Signs of Alcohol Consumption: A Mixed Methods Study of Perceived Exposure and Objective Measures

This study describes the alcohol environment comparing residents’ perceptions and objective measures in two different income-level districts. Measures were gathered between 2017 and 2018 in two districts with different income levels in Madrid, Spain. We obtained perceived measures using Photovoice. We procured objective measures through social systematic observation. Data were integrated using triangulation. Perceived and objective measures of the alcohol environment were characterized and compared in terms of alcohol availability, alcohol promotion, and signs of alcohol consumption. The integration was classified as agreement, partial agreement, or dissonance. The results related to alcohol availability and signs of its consumption showed high agreement. Availability was high in both areas, which was recognized by residents. Residents of the high-income district (HID) discussed fewer signs of alcohol consumption, whilst those in the low-income district (LID) reported extensive signs of consumption. Such observations agreed with the objective measures. There were dissonances between the approaches for alcohol promotion. Although the alcohol promotion was higher in HID according to the objective measures, it was deeply discussed by LID residents. Both methodologies helped us deepen the understanding of the alcohol environment. These results may help design more effective interventions to prevent hazardous drinking.