Community indicators: assessing the impact of alcohol use on communities

Alcohol Res. 2013;35(2):135-49.

Abstract

Community indicators are used to assess the impact of alcohol on communities. This article reviews the main data sources for community indicators, discusses their strengths and limitations, and discusses indicators used in reference to four main topics relating to alcohol use and problems at the community level: alcohol use, patterns, and problems; alcohol availability; alcohol-related health outcomes/trauma; and alcohol-related crime and enforcement. It also reviews the challenges associated with collecting community indicator data, along with important innovations in the field that have contributed to better knowledge of how to collect and analyze community-level data on the impact of alcohol.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Accidents, Traffic / statistics & numerical data
  • Alcohol Drinking / adverse effects*
  • Alcohol Drinking / psychology
  • Alcohol-Related Disorders / complications*
  • Alcohol-Related Disorders / psychology
  • Cost of Illness*
  • Crime / statistics & numerical data
  • Data Collection
  • Ethanol / supply & distribution
  • Health Status
  • Hospital Records / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Residence Characteristics* / statistics & numerical data
  • Wounds and Injuries / epidemiology

Substances

  • Ethanol