title: Do infrastructures impact on alcohol policy making?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The importance of building and strengthening effective infrastructures within the field of public health has increasingly been recognized. A wide variety of actors and structures can be identified for alcohol policy, including systems for policy development, monitoring, research and work-force development, but too little is known about the complex systems of infrastructure available across European countries and their impact on alcohol policy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study is part of the Alcohol Measures for Public Health Research Alliance (AMPHORA) project, and aims to map existing infrastructures, but also to examine the relationship between infrastructures and alcohol policy change.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey of alcohol policy infrastructure and infrastructure needs at the national level will be conducted using an updated and adapted questionnaire based on the Health Promotion (HP) Source Project tool. Case studies involving in-depth interviews will be conducted for a selection of countries. Data will be analysed descriptively, mapping alcohol policy infrastructure and identifying needs to reveal any relationship between infrastructure and alcohol policy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study can contribute to building the scientific knowledge base on this topic as well to policy development. First, the Alcohol Measures for Public Health Research Alliance will produce an extended map of alcohol policy infrastructures in a wide range of European countries. Secondly, the Alcohol Measures for Public Health Research Alliance will foster a better understanding and expand the knowledge base on the role and influence of infrastructure on alcohol policy and practice. Recommendations deriving from this study will identify the need for better utilization of existing infrastructures and for the development of new infrastructures, necessary to develop and implement effective alcohol policy from a public health perspective.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion and Development, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen (UiB), Bergen, Norway. claudia.konig@psyhp.uib.no
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: König
authors.forename: Lidia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Segura
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D019649:Food Industry / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006076:Government; D006285:Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration; D006292:Health Priorities / Q000458:organization & administration; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D011050:Policy Making; D011057:Politics; D011634:Public Health; D011640:Public Policy; D012106:Research / Q000458:organization & administration