Designing a Longitudinal Cohort Study of Gambling in Alberta: Rationale, Methods, and Challenges

Abstract

Longitudinal research on the determinants of gambling behavior is sparse. This article briefly reviews the previous seventeen longitudinally designed studies, focusing on the methodology for each study. This is followed by a description of our ongoing longitudinal study entitled the Leisure, Lifestyle, & Lifecycle Project (LLLP). Participants for the LLLP were recruited from four locations in Alberta, Canada, including both rural and urban populations. In the LLLP most participants were recruited using random digit dialing (RDD), with 1808 participants from 5 age cohorts at baseline: 13-15, 18-20, 23-25, 43-45, and 63-65. Individuals completed telephone, computer, and face-to-face surveys at baseline, with the data collection occurring between February and October, 2006. At baseline, a wide variety of constructs were measured, including gambling behavior, substance use, psychopathology, intelligence, family environment, and internalizing and externalizing problems. Finally, the conclusions that can be drawn thus far are discussed as well as the plans for three future data collections.

Configurations of gambling change and harm: qualitative findings from the Swedish longitudinal gambling study (Swelogs)

“…Similar to the findings of previous qualitative research, gambling and its possible harm was over time a dynamic process influenced by a number of internal and external factors (Anderson et al 2009;Kerr et al 2009;Reith and Dobbie 2013;el-Guebaly et al 2015). Change took place either gradually, because of adjustment to altered personal circumstances, or drastically as a consequence of determined decisions to change.…”

“…It is commonly known that gambling behaviours and problems tend to change over time (LaPlante et al 2008;el-Guebaly et al 2015). In Sweden, about 2% of the population were, in 2008/2009, 'moderate risk' and 'problem gamblers', scoring at least three points on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI, Ferris and Wynne 2001), while another 5% were 'low risk' gamblers (PGSI 1-2 points) (Public Health Agency of Sweden 2016).…”

“…For example, increased gambling has been found to be related to positive life changes in family function and relationships, as well as to stressful events and psychological problems (el-Guebaly et al 2015). This shows that people tend to gamble both to enhance positive feelings and to escape negative sentiments (Stewart and Zack 2008).…”

Deriving low‐risk gambling limits from longitudinal data collected in two independent Canadian studies

“…The LLLP, described in detail in other sources [22,23], was a prospective 5-year panel study of 1808 adolescents and adults living in rural and urban Alberta. Briefly, data were collected during four waves (covering the years 2006-11) on multiple factors theoretically linked to the aetiology and natural progression of gambling habits.…”

The Effects of Abuse, Emotion Regulation and Family Member’s Gambling Problem on Problem Gamblers: Developmental Perspective

“…This study attempted to understand gambling problem from a macroscopic perspective, just as in the Leisure, Lifestyle and Lifecycle Project (LLLP), which was a longitudinal study done in the span of five years (2006-2011) targeting Alberta residents not only to predict the prevalence of gambling addiction but also to identify biological, psychological, and social factors that can predict a wide spectrum of gambling behaviors from responsible gambling to problem gambling [54]. Kim's longitudinal study, which has been conducted for 3 years (2013-2015) for building psychological, socio-cultural model to understand gambling problems in Korea, also underlies the significance of comprehending gambling problem from a macroscopic perspective [55].…”