 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Alexander C. Wagenaar, PhD, Alcohol Epidemiology Program, University of Minnesota, 1300 S. 2nd St, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454-1015, 612-624-8370, wagenaar@epi.umn.edu
This presentation will identify several conceptually distinct uses to which researchers can put APIS data. An introduction will briefly review: (1) the role of alcohol policy research in health policy and health outcomes in the United States, the current status of alcohol policy research, and (2) specific policy areas that merit increased research attention. Two important types of research that will be enhanced by APIS will be examined in detail, with case examples of recent research. The first type of research involves conceptual and measurement studies. Analytic results from two recent studies that show most policies are continua, not dichotomies. APIS provides the means for initiating a whole series of important studies of policy characteristics. The second type of research involves policy evaluation studies. APIS provides the key independent variables for a large number of longitudinal studies of the effects of specific alcohol policy changes. The importance of such studies for understanding drinking behavior and for designing effective measures for preventing alcohol-related problems will be illustrated with a few key examples. The presentation concludes with a long list of alcohol-relevant policies ripe for in-depth statistical analyses for which there are, at present, very few or no published studies.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Policy/Policy Development, Research
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.