Neighborhood Factors as Correlates of Alcohol Use in the N2 Cohort Study of Black Sexual Minority Men and Transgender Women

TL;DR

This study explores how neighborhood characteristics like poverty and disorder relate to alcohol use among Black sexual minority men and transgender women in Chicago.

Contribution

The study is one of the few to examine neighborhood factors influencing alcohol use specifically among Black sexual minority men and transgender women.

Findings

Neighborhood poverty was significantly associated with increased alcohol use.

Exposure to vacant buildings was linked to higher alcohol use.

Alcohol outlet density and violent crime did not show significant associations with alcohol use.

Abstract

Sexually minoritized men (SMM), transgender women (TW), and particularly Black SMM and Black TW may be disproportionately impacted by alcohol-related problems. Few studies have empirically examined neighborhood factors that may contribute to alcohol use, specifically among these populations. Using data from the N2 longitudinal cohort study in Chicago, IL, survey data from the second wave of longitudinal assessment (n = 126), and GPS mobility data collected during study enrollment were used to evaluate neighborhood alcohol outlet availability, neighborhood disorder, and neighborhood poverty as correlates for individual alcohol use. Neighborhood exposures were measured using 200-m derived activity space areas, created from GPS data, and with publicly accessible geospatial contextual data. Separate multi-variable quasi-poison regression models tested for association between neighborhood alcohol outlet density (AOD), measured separately for on-premise (e.g. bars) and off-premise consumption outlets (e.g. liquor stores), neighborhood poverty (defined as the percentage of neighborhood areas at 150% or greater of the U.S. poverty line), exposure to vacant buildings, and neighborhood violent crime density. Separate analytical models found no significant effect between alcohol use and on-premise neighborhood AOD (IRR = 0.99, p = 0.35), off-premise consumption AOD (IRR = 0.92, p = 0.33), or neighborhood violent crime (IRR = 1.00, p = 0.65). Vacant buildings (IRR = 1.03, p = 0.05) and levels of neighborhood poverty (1.05, p = 0.01) were found to be significantly associated with increased alcohol use. Among this population, opposed to geospatial access, neighborhood measurements indicative of disorder and poverty may have greater influence on shaping alcohol use.

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