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Health Outcomes in Individuals with Problem and Pathological Gambling: An Analysis of the 2014 North Carolina Behavioral Risk Factor Survey System (BRFSS)

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Abstract

Problem and pathological gambling refers to subclinical and clinical levels of maladaptive gambling, respectively, and is associated with specific sociodemographic characteristics as well as a number of poor health outcomes. We examined such demographic, physical health, mental health, and health-related behaviors in a sample of 7045 low-risk gamblers and 244 problem/pathological gamblers. Participants completed the 2014 North Carolina Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System telephone survey. Using the National Opinion Research Center’s Diagnostic Screen for Gambling Disorders-CLiP, participants were categorized as either “problem/pathological gamblers” or “low-risk gamblers.” Problem/pathological gamblers were younger, more likely to be male, of ethnic minority status, unmarried, and of lower education than low-risk gamblers. No physical health variables differentiated the groups but problem/pathological gamblers reported experiencing significantly more adverse childhood experiences and engaging in significantly more tobacco and alcohol use compared to low-risk gamblers. Moreover, gender moderated relationships between gambling group and several of the alcohol use variables such that male problem/pathological gamblers exhibited greater alcohol use behavior than male low-risk gamblers but no such relationship was present in females. Overall, this study expands the current knowledgebase on disordered gambling and highlights the need to assess disordered gambling in public health samples. Clinical implications are discussed.

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Notes

  1. When assessing gambling frequency, participants selected a timeframe (e.g., week, month) and entered a number. Errors occurred as inconceivable values were detected (e.g., gambling 365 times per day).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Ryan Van Patten, Jeremiah Weinstock & Andrew B. McGrath

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  1. Ryan Van Patten
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  2. Jeremiah Weinstock
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  3. Andrew B. McGrath
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Correspondence to Jeremiah Weinstock.

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The authors report no potential conflicts of interest in relation to this study.

Ethical Standard

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Data were provided by the North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Van Patten, R., Weinstock, J. & McGrath, A.B. Health Outcomes in Individuals with Problem and Pathological Gambling: An Analysis of the 2014 North Carolina Behavioral Risk Factor Survey System (BRFSS). J Gambl Stud 34, 297–306 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-017-9712-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-017-9712-4

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