title: New modeling methods: geographic information systems and spatial analysis.
abstract: Geographic factors, such as the location of alcohol outlets or of neighborhoods with different socioeconomic status within an area, can influence the patterns of alcohol use and alcohol-related problems in that area. Geographic information systems (GIS)--computer-based systems to capture, store, retrieve, analyze, and display spatial data--are increasingly used to investigate the effects of such geographic factors. GIS offer several key capabilities that facilitate alcohol-related geographic analyses, including geocoding (the linking of descriptive data, such as driving-while-intoxicated [DWI] events, to a location on a map), informative visual displays, and calculation of distance and adjacency. Using GIS-based data, researchers can perform complex spatial analyses of alcohol-related behaviors and problems, such as determining the correlation between DWI rates and geographic locations. These types of analyses may help investigators to understand environmental influences on alcohol-related problems and to plan and target appropriate prevention and intervention approaches.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health and Social Research, Buffalo State College, Buffalo, New York, USA.
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Wieczorek
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Hanson
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003198:Computer Simulation; D040362:Geographic Information Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015233:Models, Statistical