Reducing Binge Drinking? The Effect of a Ban on Late-Night Off-Premise Alcohol Sales on Alcohol-Related Hospital Stays in Germany

Excessive alcohol consumption among young people is a major public health concern. On March 1, 2010, the German state of Baden-Württemberg banned the sale of alcoholic beverages between 10pm and 5am at off-premise outlets (e.g., gas stations, kiosks, supermarkets). We use rich monthly administrative data from a 70 percent random sample of all hospitalizations during the years 2007-2011 in Germany in order to evaluate the short-term impact of this policy on alcohol-related hospitalizations. Applying difference-in-differences methods, we find that the policy change reduces alcohol-related hospitalizations among adolescents and young adults by about seven percent. There is also evidence of a decrease in the number of hospitalizations due to violent assault as a result of the ban

Quantifying spatial accessibility in public health practice and research: an application to on-premise alcohol outlets, United States, 2013

Abstract Objective To assess spatial accessibility measures to on-premise alcohol outlets at census block, census tract, county, and state levels for the United States. Methods Using network analysis in a geographic information system, we computed distance-based measures (Euclidean distance, driving distance, and driving time) to on-premise alcohol outlets for the entire U.S. at the census block level. We then calculated spatial access-based measures, specifically a population-weighted spatial accessibility index and population-weighted distances (Euclidean distance, driving distance, and driving time) to alcohol outlets at the census tract, county, and state levels. A multilevel model-based sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the associations between different on-premise alcohol outlet accessibility measures and excessive drinking outcomes. Results The national average population-weighted driving time to the nearest 7 on-premise alcohol outlets was 5.89 min, and the average population-weighted driving distance was 2.63 miles. At the state level, population-weighted driving times ranged from 1.67 min (DC) to 15.29 min (Arizona). Population-weighted driving distances ranged from 0.67 miles (DC) to 7.91 miles (Arkansas). At the county level, population-weighted driving times and distances exhibited significant geographic variations, and averages for both measures increased by the degree of county rurality. The population-weighted spatial accessibility indexes were highly correlated to respective population-weighted distance measures. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that population weighted accessibility measures were more sensitive to excessive drinking outcomes than were population weighted distance measures. Conclusions These results can be used to assess the relationship between geographic access to on-premise alcohol outlets and health outcomes. This study demonstrates a flexible and robust method that can be applied or modified to quantify spatial accessibility to public resources such as healthy food stores, medical care providers, and parks and greenspaces, as well as, quantify spatial exposure to local adverse environments such as tobacco stores and fast food restaurants

A Key Comprehensive System for Biobehavioral Surveillance of Populations Disproportionately Affected by HIV (National HIV Behavioral Surveillance): Cross-sectional Survey Study

BackgroundThe National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) is a comprehensive system for biobehavioral surveillance conducted since 2003 in 3 populations disproportionately affected by HIV: gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM); people who inject drugs; and heterosexually active persons at increased risk for HIV infection (HET). This ongoing and systematic collection and analysis of data is needed to identify baseline prevalence of behavioral risk factors and prevention service use, as well as to measure progress toward meeting HIV prevention goals among key populations disproportionately affected by HIV. ObjectiveThis manuscript provides an overview of NHBS from 2003 to 2019. MethodsNHBS is conducted in rotating, annual cycles; these 3 annual cycles are considered a round. Venue-based, time-space sampling is used for the MSM population. Respondent-driven sampling is used for people who inject drugs and HET populations. A standardized, anonymous questionnaire collects information on HIV-related behavioral risk factors, HIV testing, and use of prevention services. In each cycle, approximately 500 eligible persons from each participating area are interviewed and offered anonymous HIV testing. ResultsFrom 2003 to 2019, 168,600 persons were interviewed and 143,570 agreed to HIV testing across 17 to 25 cities in the United States. In the fifth round (2017 to 2019), over 10,000 (10,760-12,284) persons were interviewed each of the 3 population cycles in 23 cities. Of those, most (92%-99%) agreed to HIV testing. Several cities also conducted sexually transmitted infection or hepatitis C testing. ConclusionsNHBS is critical for monitoring the impact of the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the United States initiative. Data collected from NHBS are key to describe trends in key populations and tailor new prevention activities to ensure high prevention impact. NHBS data provide valuable information for monitoring and evaluating national HIV prevention goals and guiding national and local HIV prevention efforts. Furthermore, NHBS data can be used by public health officials and researchers to identify HIV prevention needs, allocate prevention resources, and develop and improve prevention programs directed to the populations of interest and their communities

MOESM1 of Quantifying spatial accessibility in public health practice and research: an application to on-premise alcohol outlets, United States, 2013

Additional file 1: Population-weighted spatial access to 7 nearest on-premise alcohol outlets by U.S. states, counties and census tracts, 2013

Changes in HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis Awareness and Use Among Men Who Have Sex with Men - 20 Urban Areas, 2014 and 2017

In February 2019, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services proposed a strategic initiative to end the human immunodeficiency (HIV) epidemic in the United States by reducing new HIV infections by 90% during 2020-2030* (1). Phase 1 of the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative focuses on Washington, DC; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and 48 counties where the majority of new diagnoses of HIV infection in 2016 and 2017 were concentrated and on seven states with a disproportionate occurrence of HIV in rural areas relative to other states. One of the four pillars in the initiative is protecting persons at risk for HIV infection using proven, comprehensive prevention approaches and treatments, such as HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which is the use of antiretroviral medications that have proven effective at preventing infection among persons at risk for acquiring HIV. In 2014, CDC released clinical PrEP guidelines to health care providers (2) and intensified efforts to raise awareness and increase the use of PrEP among persons at risk for infection, including gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM), a group that accounted for an estimated 68% of new HIV infections in 2016 (3). Data from CDC's National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) were collected in 20 U.S. urban areas in 2014 and 2017, covering 26 of the geographic areas included in Phase I of the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative, and were compared to assess changes in PrEP awareness and use among MSM. From 2014 to 2017, PrEP awareness increased by 50% overall, with >80% of MSM in 17 of the 20 urban areas reporting PrEP awareness in 2017. Among MSM with likely indications for PrEP (e.g., sexual risk behaviors or recent bacterial sexually transmitted infection [STI]), use of PrEP increased by approximately 500% from 6% to 35%, with significant increases observed in all urban areas and in almost all demographic subgroups. Despite this progress, PrEP use among MSM, especially among black and Hispanic MSM, remains low. Continued efforts to improve coverage are needed to reach the goal of 90% reduction in HIV incidence by 2030. In addition to developing new ways of connecting black and Hispanic MSM to health care providers through demonstration projects, CDC has developed resources and tools such as the Prescribe HIV Prevention program to enable health care providers to integrate PrEP into their clinical care. By routinely testing their patients for HIV, assessing HIV-negative patients for risk behaviors, and prescribing PrEP as needed, health care providers can play a critical role in this effort

Binge drinking and risky sexual behavior among HIV-negative and unknown HIV status men who have sex with men, 20 US cities

BACKGROUND: Men who have sex with men (MSM) represent over half of new HIV infections in the United States. It is important to understand the factors associated with engaging in risky sexual behavior to develop effective prevention interventions. Binge drinking (≥5 drinks on ≥1 occasion) is the most common form of excessive alcohol consumption. This study examines the relationship between binge drinking and sexual risk behaviors among MSM who are current drinkers and who were either HIV-negative or unaware of their HIV status. METHODS: Using the 2011 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance system and multivariable Poisson models with robust error estimates, we assessed the association between binge drinking and sexual risk behaviors among current drinkers. Prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) are presented. RESULTS: Overall, 85% of MSM were current drinkers, and 59% of MSM who drank reported ≥1 episode of binge drinking in the preceding 30 days. In multivariable models, binge drinking was associated with condomless anal intercourse (CAI) at last sex with an HIV-positive or unknown status partner (receptive: PR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.6; insertive: PR 1.2, 95% CI 1.0-1.4), having exchanged sex for money or drugs at last sex (PR: 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.7), having concurrent partners in the past year (PR: 1.1, 95% CI 1.1-1.2), and having more CAI partners in the past year (PR: 1.2, 95% CI 1.0-1.4) compared to non-binge drinkers. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence-based strategies for reducing binge drinking could help reduce risky sexual behavior among MSM