In a study done by Richard A. Scribner, David P. MacKinnon, and James H. Dwyer, researchers sought to find to what extent alcohol outlets in a community influence assaultive violence. An ecologic analysis of the 74 larger cities in Los Angeles County was performed for the year 1990. This method was used in order to determine whether there was a correlation between alcohol outlet density and assaultive violence rates in terms of geography.
According to the study, sociodemographic factors were responsible for the seventy-percent variance in the rate of assaultive violence when a multiple regression model was used. When the alcohol-outlet density was included in the in the model, the graph then showed a positive correlation. The results of the study revealed that for every alcohol-outlet, 3.4 assaultive violence offenses occurred. These results were based off of the general data gathered from Los Angeles County in 1990 with 50,000 residents, 100 alcohol-outlets, and 570 offenses per year.
Scribner, MacKinnon, and Dwyer concluded that a “higher levels of alcohol-outlet density are geographically associated with higher rates of assaultive violence.” This study also concluded that factors such as unemployment, income, race/ethnicity, house-hold size, and city-size were “independent” of the study. This would require further research to determine every one of these factors. However, because all of these factors vary per family and geographic location, it would be extremely difficult to make conclusions based off of one population. Further researching this data could potentially draw conclusions with all of these factors only for Los Angeles County and a generalized idea of another area.
Scribner, Richard A., MD, MPH, David P. MacKinnon, PhD, and James H. Dwyer, PhD. “The Risk of Assaultive Violence And Alcohol Availability In Los Angeles County.” <i>American Journal of Public Hea;th</i> 85.3 (1995): 335-40. Rpt. in N.p.: n.p., n.d. 335-40. Web. 14 Feb. 2016. <http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.85.3.335>.