Earlier studies have shown that predominantly African-American neighborhoods have a disproportionate number of outdoor alcohol advertisements, such as billboards; however, before this study, the impact of this pattern was unclear.
The study, published online by the American Journal of Public Health, monitored 139 African-American participants, ages 21 to 49, who resided in Central Harlem. Approximately 31 percent were reported to be problem drinkers. The study showed that problem drinking behaviors were linked to both alcohol advertising and a family history of alcoholism.
Principal investigator of the study and assistant professor of Sociomedical Sciences, Naa Oyo Kwate, commented on one interesting finding:
"We found that, on average, exposure to each alcohol ad in a woman's residential block was associated with a 13 percent increase in the odds of being a problem drinker."(Sources: www.sciencedaily.com)
Labels: alcoholism, advertising
Posted By: Aspen Education Group