Racial/ethnic composition, social disorganization, and offsite alcohol availability in San Diego County, California

Abstract

We draw upon social disorganization theory to examine the effects of community characteristics on the distribution of offsite alcohol outlets in San Diego County, California. Of particular interest is whether alcohol availability varies according to neighborhood racial/ethnic composition once measures of social disorganization (socioeconomic disadvantage, residential instability, and racial/ ethnic heterogeneity) are controlled. Using data from the 1990 Census and 1993 alcohol license reports, we estimate a series of negative binomial regression models with corrections for spatial autocorrelation. The results show that percent Asian is associated with lower offsite alcohol outlet density. Once socioeconomic disadvantage is controlled, percent Latino is related to lower alcohol availability. Although similar suppressor patterns are observed, percent Black is generally unrelated to outlet density. Consistent with social disorganization theory, socioeconomic disadvantage and residential instability predict increased alcohol availability. Neighborhood racial/ethnic composition is either unrelated or inversely related to outlet density once social disorganization and other neighborhood characteristics are taken into account. KeywordsAlcohol outlets; alcohol availability; race and ethnicity; social disorganization theory; neighborhoods Alcohol availability, measured by the distribution of alcohol outlets in neighborhoods and communities, is a major public health concern. Studies show that alcohol availability or alcohol outlet density is associated with higher rates of sexually transmitted infections (Scribner, Cohen and Farley, 1998), driving under the influence (Treno, Grube and Martin, 2003), lethal and non-lethal violence (e.g., Gorman, Zhu and Horel, 2005;Hipp, 2007;Nielsen and Martinez, 2003;Peterson, Krivo and Harris, 2000), alcohol-related hospital admissions (Tatlow, Clapp and Hohman, 2000), and mortality from liver disease, cardiovascular disease, and homicide *Direct Correspondence to: Amie L. Nielsen, Associate Professor, University of Miami, Department of Sociology, P.O. Box 248162, Coral Gables, FL 33124-2030; Phone: 305-284-6158; Fax: 305-284-5310; email: nielsen@miami.edu. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. NIH Public Access Author ManuscriptSoc Sci Res. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2011 January 1. (Cohen, Mason and Farley, 2004;Scribner, Mackinnon and Dwyer, 1994;Watts and Rabow, 1983; but see Jones-Webb et al., 2008). Given the apparent public health significance of alcohol availability and related concerns for environmental justi...

Alcohol Outlets and Community Levels of Interpersonal Violence

“…We included several structural characteristics of communities to control for confounding effects. This is important since alcohol outlet density has been shown to be associated with neighborhood characteristics (Nielsen et al 2010). Our controls included the proportion of the population living below the poverty line, the proportion of the population aged 16 and older that is unemployed, the proportion of households in the block group headed by a female and with a child under the age of 18 years old, the proportion of the population aged 15-24, and the proportion of the population that is African American.…”

“…While the concentration of alcohol outlets in an area is partially the result of socially disorganized neighborhoods (Nielsen et al 2010), problematic bars and off-premise outlets can themselves contribute to disorganization and decreased social cohesion. According to Stark (1987), we can expect more lenient law enforcement in these types of places, which makes them more attractive for those dravra to crime and deviance.…”

Alcohol Outlets, Social Disorganization, Land Use, and Violence in a Large College Town

“…We included several additional structural characteristics of communities to control for potential confounding effects. This is important because neighborhood characteristics have been shown to be associated with both alcohol outlet density (Nielsen, Hill, French, & Hernandez, 2010) and violence. Our controls included the proportion of the population that is African American and population density.…”

Neighborhood Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities in the Food and Alcohol Environment: Are There Differences by Commercial Data Sources?

“…The role of differential exposure or access to neighborhood environments in driving racial and socioeconomic health disparities has also been of concern [3][4][5]. In the context of food and alcohol environments, healthy food options and alcohol outlets are unequally distributed geographically (e.g., by race, class, and rurality) [6][7][8][9][10][11]. Inequities in neighborhood food and alcohol environments influence individual behaviors, are related to overall health and well-being, are barriers to healthy living environments, and are cited as important environmental justice issues [8,11].…”