Alcohol outlets, gonorrhea, and the Los Angeles civil unrest: A longitudinal analysis

Abstract

This study tests the effect of neighborhood changes on gonorrhea rates. Prior studies that indicate gonorrhea rates are associated with alcohol outlet density and neighborhood deterioration have been cross-sectional and cannot establish causality. After the 1992 Civil Unrest in Los Angeles, 270 alcohol outlets surrendered their licenses due to arson and vandalism thus providing a natural experiment. We geocoded all reported gonorrhea cases from 1988 to 1996 in LA County, all annually licensed alcohol outlets, and all properties damaged as a result of the civil unrest. We ran individual growth models to examine the independent effects of changes in alcohol outlets and damaged buildings on gonorrhea. The individual growth model explained over 90% of the residual variance in census tract gonorrhea rates. After the civil unrest, a unit decrease in the number of alcohol outlets per mile of roadway was associated with 21 fewer gonorrhea cases per 100,000 (p<.01) in tracts affected by the Unrest compared to those not affected. Neighborhood alcohol outlets appear to be significantly associated with changes in gonorrhea rates. The findings suggest that efforts to control sexually transmitted diseases, including gonorrhea and HIV, should address contextual factors that facilitate high-risk behaviors and disease transmission

Density of Drinking Establishments and HIV Prevalence in a Migrant Town in Namibia

“…However, our results are in agreement with prior related research. Studies looking at density of drinking establishments in U.S. populations have also found a significant relationship between density of drinking establishment and risk of STDs and drinking related problems [5,6].…”

“…The bottle store is a formal, registered To our knowledge, the association of density of drinking establishments with HIV prevalence has not been evaluated, particularly in the setting of a migrant town where high rates of alcohol consumption are observed. Prior research has evaluated density of drinking establishments and STI prevalence and drinking-related problems [5,6]. Cohen and colleagues [5] examined the relation between drinking establishment density and gonorrhea rates and found a significant correlation between the two (r=0.956, pvalue <0.01).…”

“…Prior research has evaluated density of drinking establishments and STI prevalence and drinking-related problems [5,6]. Cohen and colleagues [5] examined the relation between drinking establishment density and gonorrhea rates and found a significant correlation between the two (r=0.956, pvalue <0.01). Weitzman and colleagues [6] examined drinking establishment density and risk of drinking and drinking related problems and found significant correlations between outlet density and heavy drinking: (r=0.82, p=0.01), frequent drinking (r=0.73, p=0.04), and drinking-related problems (r=0.79 p=0.02).…”

Alcohol Availability and Neighborhood Characteristics in Los Angeles, California and Southern Louisiana

“…6,7 Alcohol outlet density has also been associated with a variety of social problems including violent assault, [8][9][10][11][12] alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents and fatalities, 12,13 and sexually transmitted disease rates. 14,15 Yet, other studies have found that drug-related crime is a stronger predictor of violence than alcohol outlets. 16,17 A separate consideration is that alcohol outlets are not randomly distributed in communities.…”

Strategies Employed by Inner-City Activists to Reduce Alcohol-Related Problems and Advance Social Justice

“…In Los Angeles, many of the 270 alcohol outlets that surrendered their licenses did not reopen (Cohen et al, 2006), and hundreds of billboards were eliminated in some cities (Herd, 2011). In Los Angeles, one of the organizers now serves as a district Congresswoman.…”