Unhealthy Gambling Amongst New Zealand Secondary School Students: An Exploration of Risk and Protective Factors

Rossen, Fiona V.; Clark, Terryann; Denny, Simon |J.; Fleming, Theresa M.; Peiris-John, Roshini; Robinson, Elizabeth and Lucassen, Mathijs F. G. (2016). Unhealthy Gambling Amongst New Zealand Secondary School Students: An Exploration of Risk and Protective Factors. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 14(1) pp. 95–110.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-015-9562-1

Abstract

This study sought to determine the prevalence of gambling and unhealthy gambling behaviour and describe risk and protective factors associated with these behaviours amongst a nationally representative sample of New Zealand secondary school students (n = 8,500). Factor analysis and item response theory were used to develop a model to provide a measure of ‘unhealthy gambling’. Logistic regressions and multiple logistic regression models were used to investigate associations between unhealthy gambling behaviour and selected outcomes. Approximately one-quarter (24.2 %) of students had gambled in the last year, and 4.8 % had two or more indicators of unhealthy gambling. Multivariate analyses found that unhealthy gambling was associated with four main factors: more accepting attitudes towards gambling (p< 0.0001); gambling via gambling machines/casinos/track betting (p = 0.0061); being worried about and/or trying to cut down on gambling (p < 0.0001); and, having attempted suicide (p = 0.0009). Unhealthy gambling is a significant health issue for young people in New Zealand. Ethnic and social inequalities were apparent and these disparities need to be addressed.

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