Alcohol outlet density and university student drinking: a national study.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the geographic density of alcohol outlets and associations with drinking levels and related problems among university students.


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey study using geospatial data, with campus-level and individual-level analyses.


METHODS
A total of 2550 students (mean age 20.2, 60% women) at six university campuses in New Zealand (63% response).


METHODS
Counts of alcohol outlets within 3 km of each campus were tested for their non-parametric correlation with aggregated campus drinking levels and related problems. Generalized estimating equations were used to model the relation between outlet counts within 1 km and 3 km of student residences and individual drinking levels/problems, with control for gender, age, ethnicity and high school binge drinking frequency, and adjustment for campus-level clustering.


RESULTS
Correlations for campus-level data were 0.77 (P = 0.07) for drinking and personal problems, and 0.31 (P = 0.54) for second-hand effects. There were consistent significant associations of both on- and off-licence outlet densities with all outcomes in student-level adjusted models. Effects were largest for 1 km densities and off-licence outlets.


CONCLUSIONS
There are positive associations between alcohol outlet density and individual drinking and related problems. Associations remain after controlling for demographic variables and pre-university drinking, i.e. the associations are unlikely to be due to self-selection effects. Increasing alcohol outlet density, and particularly off-licences, may increase alcohol-related harm among university students.
School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Australia. kypros.kypri@newcastle.edu.au
Kypros
K
Kypri
Melanie L
ML
Bell
Geoff C
GC
Hay
Joanne
J
Baxter
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D003132:Commerce / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence