Estimating the prevalence of disordered gambling behavior in the United States and Canada: a research synthesis.

Shaffer, Howard J.; Hall, Matthew N.; Bilt, Joni Vander

doi:10.2105/ajph.89.9.1369

Cited by 1,081 publications

(933 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…National surveys in the United States (Gerstein et al, 1999), Australia (Productivity Commission, 1999), and Sweden (Volberg et al, 2001) have found the rate of problem and pathological gambling to peak in ages 18 to 24. Similarly, a meta-analysis of all North American prevalence studies found that the 19 study samples of college students appear to have higher overall lifetime rates of problem and pathological gambling (16.4%) than either adolescents (11.8%) or adults (6.1%) (Shaffer & Hall, 2001). …”

Section: Mathematics Of Gamblingmentioning

confidence: 95%

Does learning about the mathematics of gambling change gambling behavior?

Williams

Connolly

2006

Psychology of Addictive Behaviors

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The present research examined the influence of improved knowledge of odds and mathematical expectation on the gambling behavior of university students. A group of 198 Introductory Statistics students received instruction on probability theory using examples from gambling.One comparison group of 134 students received generic instruction on probability and a second group of 138 non-Statistics students received no mathematical instruction. Six months after the intervention, students receiving the intervention demonstrated superior ability to calculate gambling odds as well as resistance to gambling fallacies. Unexpectedly, this improved knowledge and skill was not associated with any decreases in actual gambling behavior. The implication of this research is that enhanced mathematical knowledge on its own may be insufficient to change gambling behavior. Mathematics of gambling 3Does learning about the mathematics of gambling change gambling behavior?The current generation of youth are the first to have been raised in an environment of extensive legalized and government-sanctioned gambling. Perhaps as a consequence, several surveys have found the prevalence of gambling to be higher in young adults. The lifetime rate of gambling in North American college and university students typically ranges from 70% to 94% (Adebayo, 1998;Devlin & Peppard, 1996;Engwall, Hunter, & Steinberg, 2002;Kang & Hsu, 2001;Ladouceur, Dube, & Bujold, 1994;Lesieur et al., 1991;Oster & Knapp, 1998). A recent nationally representative study of college students in the United States (LaBrie et al., 2003) found a lower prevalence, but this study was limited by low response rates and not asking about all forms of gambling. The rates of problem and pathological gambling are also high among young people. National surveys in the United States (Gerstein et al., 1999), Australia (Productivity Commission, 1999), and Sweden (Volberg et al., 2001) have found the rate of problem and pathological gambling to peak in ages 18 to 24. Similarly, a meta-analysis of all North American prevalence studies found that the 19 study samples of college students appear to have higher overall lifetime rates of problem and pathological gambling (16.4%) than either adolescents (11.8%) or adults (6.1%) (Shaffer & Hall, 2001).Educational initiatives to prevent problem gambling have recently been undertaken.These efforts have largely been spearheaded by government agencies that provide treatment for substance abuse and problem gambling. Many of these agencies have developed ongoing 'awareness campaigns' consisting of 24 hour counselling hotlines; media promotion of responsible gambling; posters/pamphlets in gaming establishments letting people know about the signs of problem gambling and where to go for help; videos on problem gambling; etc. (e.g., AADAC, 2001;Murray, 2003;Jackson et al., 2002). Some jurisdictions (e.g., Australia, Canada, Mathematics of gambling 4United States) have also introduced gambling prevention programs into the school curriculum.These include: "D...

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Section: Mathematics Of Gamblingmentioning

confidence: 95%

Does learning about the mathematics of gambling change gambling behavior?

Williams

Connolly

2006

Psychology of Addictive Behaviors

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“…Youth and students have been repeatedly identified as being a vulnerable population at high risk of developing gambling related problems (Delfabbro, 2008;Jacobs, 2004;Shaffer et al, 1997). As such, it is important to include this group in gambling research.…”

Section: Use Of Appropriate Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Appropriateness of Using Laboratories and Student Participants in Gambling Research

Gainsbury

Blaszczynski

2010

J Gambl Stud

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“…These consequences make PG an important public health problem, especially for more vulnerable populations (Gainsbury et al 2014;Korn and Shaffer 1999;Papineau 2010;Shaffer and Hall 2001) such as individuals with a history of problematic substance use. Indeed, within this vulnerable population, PG is 8 to 24 times the prevalence reported for the general population (Cowlishaw et al 2014;Cowlishaw and Hakes 2015;Cunningham-Williams et al 2000;Fernandez-Montalvo et al 2012;Mathias et al 2009;Toneatto and Brennan 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gambling Problems Among Community Cocaine Users

et al. 2016

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Cocaine use is highly prevalent and a major public health problem. While some studies have reported frequent comorbidity problems among cocaine users, few studies have included evaluation of gambling problems. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of gambling problems and compare those who were at-risk gamblers with nonproblem gamblers in terms of mental health problems, substance use problems, and some risk factors (i.e. family antecedents, erroneous perceptions and coping strategies) among individuals who smoke or inject cocaine.METHOD: A total of 424 smoked or injected cocaine users recruited through community-based programs in Montreal, Quebec completed the questionnaire, including the Canadian Pathological Gambling Index, the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), the CAGE, and the Severity Dependence Scale (SDS).RESULTS: Of the sample, 18.4 % were considered at-risk gamblers, of whom 7.8 % had problems gambling and 10.6 % were moderate-risk gamblers. The at-risk group was more likely to have experienced a recent phobic disorder and alcohol problems than the non-problem group. A multivariate analysis showed that, compared to those who were non-problem gamblers, the at-risk ones were more likely to have lost a large sum of money when they first started gambling, believed that their luck would turn, and gambled in reaction to painful life events. These results indicate the need to include routines for screening to identify gambling problem among cocaine users.

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Estimating the prevalence of disordered gambling behavior in the United States and Canada: a research synthesis.

Cited by 1,081 publications

References 45 publications

Does learning about the mathematics of gambling change gambling behavior?

Does learning about the mathematics of gambling change gambling behavior?

The Appropriateness of Using Laboratories and Student Participants in Gambling Research

Gambling Problems Among Community Cocaine Users

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