Alcohol outlets and firearm violence: a place-based case-control study using satellite imagery and machine learning.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

This article proposes a novel method for matching places based on visual similarity, using high-resolution satellite imagery and machine learning. This approach strengthens comparisons when the built environment is a potential confounder, as in many injury research studies.

Methods

As an example, I apply this method to study the spatial influence of alcohol outlets (AOs) on firearm violence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, specifically beer stores and bar/restaurants. Using a case-control framework, city blocks with shootings in 2017-2018 were matched with similar-looking blocks with no shootings, based on analysis with a pretrained convolutional neural network and t-distributed stochastic neighbour embedding. Logistic regression was used to estimate the OR

SUBMITTER: Jay J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8268046 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature