The overall aims of the proposed research is to undertake an ecologic examination of the relationship between measures of income disparity and the rates of key alcohol related harms at a local-area level in Australia in 1996 and 2001.
The specific objectives of the research project are to:
1. develop measures of income disparity (GINI coefficients) for Australian Statistical Local Areas (SLAs)
2. develop measures of the rate of key alcohol related harms for Australian SLAs as well as rates for a number of control conditions (eg diverticulitis)
3. using multi-level models, examine the relationship between income inequality and the rate of alcohol related harms at an SLA level
4. map the relationship between income inequality and the rate of alcohol related harms in Australian SLAs