Mahmood Gohari

PhD student, Public Health and Health Systems
Mahmood Gohari,

Program 

PhD Public Health and Health Systems, 2015-2019

Graduate supervisor

Scott Leatherdale

My thesis

My research evaluated the impact of change in availability of alcohol in some Ontario grocery stores on youth alcohol use behaviours. We used four-year linked longitudinal data for grade 9 to 12 students who participated in the COMPASS study. We found four distinct behaviour groups of youth in our study population: non-users, periodic drinkers, low-risk drinkers, and high-risk regular drinkers.

Our results also show that youth within 10 km of a grocery store selling alcohol were more likely to transition from being non-users to high-risk regular drinkers than youth in areas that did not permit the sale of alcohol in grocery stores. Also, high-risk regular drinkers were more likely to maintain their drinking behaviours in areas with alcohol sale.

My time in the School of Public Health and Health Systems (SPHHS)

I had a great sense of community during my time in SPHHS. The school is committed to academic excellence and has a very supportive environment. I felt like everyone was striving towards common goals and wanted to help eachother succeed. My colleagues were so positive to be around and always had a smile and zeal for learning. I truly enjoyed my time in SPHHS.