title: Brief report: Using global positioning system (GPS) enabled cell phones to examine adolescent travel patterns and time in proximity to alcohol outlets.
abstract: As adolescents gain freedom to explore new environments unsupervised, more time in proximity to alcohol outlets may increase risks for alcohol and marijuana use. This pilot study: 1) Describes variations in adolescents' proximity to outlets by time of day and day of the week, 2) Examines variations in outlet proximity by drinking and marijuana use status, and 3) Tests feasibility of obtaining real-time data to study adolescent proximity to outlets. U.S. adolescents (N = 18) aged 16-17 (50% female) carried GPS-enabled smartphones for one week with their locations tracked. The geographic areas where adolescents spend time, activity spaces, were created by connecting GPS points sequentially and adding spatial buffers around routes. Proximity to outlets was greater during after school and evening hours. Drinkers and marijuana users were in proximity to outlets 1½ to 2 times more than non-users. Findings provide information about where adolescents spend time and times of greatest risk, informing prevention efforts.
authors.affiliation: Prevention Research Center, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 180 Grand Avenue, Suite 1200, Oakland, CA 94612, USA. Electronic address: hbyrnes@prev.org.
authors.forename: Hilary F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Byrnes
authors.affiliation: Prevention Research Center, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 180 Grand Avenue, Suite 1200, Oakland, CA 94612, USA.
authors.forename: Brenda A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Prevention Research Center, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 180 Grand Avenue, Suite 1200, Oakland, CA 94612, USA; Monash University, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Electronic address: cmorrison@prev.org.
authors.forename: Christopher N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.affiliation: University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Douglas J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Wiebe
authors.affiliation: Prevention Research Center, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 180 Grand Avenue, Suite 1200, Oakland, CA 94612, USA.
authors.forename: Lillian G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Remer
authors.affiliation: Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Regenstrief Institute for Health Care, Fairbanks Hall, 340 West 10th Street, Suite 6200, Indianapolis, IN 46202-3082, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Wiehe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D003132:Commerce / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009511:New England / Q000453:epidemiology; D013383:Suburban Population; D014195:Travel / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014505:Urban Population
keywords: Adolescents; Alcohol outlets; Alcohol use; GPS; Marijuana use