Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping
enables researchers to understand, manage, question,
interpret, and visualize data in many ways that
reveal relationships, patterns, and trends. GIS maps,
reports, and charts have become an indispensable
Examples of Alcohol
Outlet Density Measures
• Outlets per population
• Outlets per land area
• Outlets per road mile
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tool to tell visually the story of how alcohol outlet
density is spatially connected to individual
and community problems. GIS mapping is also
instrumental in geocoding, that is determining
the geographic coordinates, of each alcohol outlet
from a list of street addresses. It is also the primary
means of computing numbers of alcohol outlets
per given area and calculating alcohol outlet density
measures. GIS maps convey information in a manner
that facilitates understanding of the connection
between community environments and public
health problems among community members and
policy makers.