Live Rescheduled AMASS May 18 - Using Maps in Your Research: Applications of Geospatial Data Analysis with Dr. Kevin M. Mwenda

Thursday, May 18, 2023

12:30 PM - 4:30 PM Eastern/ 11:30 AM – 3:30 PM Central/ 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM Mountain/ 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM Pacific

$100 Student ABCT Members / $125 ABCT Members / $145 Non-Members

Abstract:

Geographic information Systems (GIS) methods are increasingly used to investigate the effects of socio-environmental factors and exposure towards vulnerable populations. This workshop will introduce participants to concepts and methods in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that will facilitate appropriate spatial queries to determine: 1) Containment and Accessibility factors - how many alcohol outlets in a city are within a pre-established distance from existing schools; 2) Proximity factors – average distance between alcohol outlets and schools. Using open-source GIS software such as QGIS, participants will learn how to source, map and analyze locations and densities of liquor stores and schools. In so doing, participants will investigate if there is a significantly high number of liquor stores in a certain city given its size and assess potential impact of the prevalence of liquor stores on alcohol (mis)use among adolescents in nearby schools. Such information may be useful to mental health professionals to advocate for improved policies to target appropriate prevention and intervention strategies.

About the Presenter:

Dr. Kevin Mwenda is an Assistant Professor of Population Studies and the Interim Director of Spatial Structures in the Social Sciences (S4) at Brown University. His research interests include designing and applying methods that explore, analyze and visualize spatial patterns within health data, to better understand human-environment dynamics (e.g. population health, climate and society), and the role humans play at the nexus among these. As S4 Interim Director, Dr. Mwenda oversees scholarly program development, support and advancement of spatial research and training at Brown. Dr. Mwenda both offers consulting services and serves as a Co-Principal Investigator on a wide variety of spatial research projects and grant proposals. He coordinates and teaches an intensive two-week GIS Institute twice a year. Dr. Mwenda also teaches courses on GIS and spatial analysis methods to undergraduate and graduate students and supervises students from a range of disciplines in their spatially-oriented research.

Outline:

1. Participants will receive an introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and its research applications.

2. Participants will do an in-session application of GIS to distances between alcohol outlets and schools.

3. Participants will identify at least one area in their own program of research in which they can apply GIS. 

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this webinar, the learner will be able to:

1. List basic concepts and methods to conduct spatial queries in GIS.

2. Download open-source GIS software and source location data to perform spatial queries in a reproducible way.

3. Create buffers using pre-designated parameters around geographic locations.

4. Combine spatial criteria and visualize candidate within study area.

5. Assess potential impact of spatially-themed criteria that may be misaligned with the situation on-ground.

LONG-TERM GOAL: Participants will be comfortable working with GIS to conduct basic spatial queries and analyses of geographical phenomena.

Recommended Readings:

1. Fliss, M. D., Cox, M. E., Wallace, J. W., Simon, M. C., Knuth, K. B., & Proescholdbell, S. (2021). Measuring and Mapping Alcohol Outlet Environment Density, Clusters, and Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Durham, North Carolina, 2017. Preventing Chronic Disease, 18. doi:ARTN 210127 10.5888/pcd18.210127

2. Martin-Turrero, I., Valiente, R., Molina-de la Fuente, I., Bilal, U., Lazo, M., & Sureda, X. (2022). Accessibility and availability of alcohol outlets around schools: An ecological study in the city of Madrid, Spain, according to socioeconomic area-level. Environmental Research, 204. doi:ARTN 112323 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112323

3. Sacks, J. J., Brewer, R. D., Mesnick, J., Holt, J. B., Zhang, X., Kanny, D., . . . Gruenewald, P. J. (2020). Measuring Alcohol Outlet Density: An Overview of Strategies for Public Health Practitioners. J Public Health Manag Pract, 26(5), 481-488. doi:10.1097/PHH.0000000000001023

4. Trapp, G. S. A., Knuiman, M., Hooper, P., & Foster, S. (2018). Proximity to Liquor Stores and Adolescent Alcohol Intake: A Prospective Study. Am J Prev Med, 54(6), 825-830. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2018.01.043

5. Wieczorek, W. F., & Hanson, C. E. (1997). New modeling methods: geographic information systems and spatial analysis. Alcohol Health Res World, 21(4), 331-339.

*************************

All attendees will receive a certificate of completion when the course requirements are satisfied. Certificates of completion is included in the cost of the webinar

The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies incurs significant administrative cost related to your registration before a webinar.  Therefore, there are no refunds for live webinars. If you unable to attend a webinar, we will register you for the recorded version, which is available after the live presentation (and is still eligible for CE credit). If you wish to cancel or request to transfer your webinar registration to another webinar please email your request to membership@abct.org. 

ABCT is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. ABCT maintains responsibility for this program and its content

The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5797. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs

The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies is recognized by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences for Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) to offer continuing education as Provider #4600

Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0124