TY - JOUR
T1 - Gambling level and psychiatric and medical disorders in older adults
T2 - Results from the national epidemiologic survey on alcohol and related conditions
AU - Pietrzak, Robert H.
AU - Morasco, Benjamin J.
AU - Blanco, Carlos
AU - Grant, Bridget F.
AU - Petry, Nancy M.
PY - 2007/4
Y1 - 2007/4
N2 - Objective: This study examined the association between gambling level and psychiatric and medical disorders in a nationally representative sample of older adults. Method: Data on 10,563 U.S. older adults (age 60 or older) were analyzed from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Results: A total 28.74% of older adults were lifetime recreational gamblers and 0.85% were lifetime disordered gamblers. Compared with older adults without a history of regular gambling, recreational gamblers had significantly elevated rates of alcohol (30.1% versus 12.8%), nicotine (16.9% versus 8.0%), mood (12.6% versus 11.0%), anxiety (15.0% versus 11.6%), and personality disorders (11.3% versus 7.3%) and obesity (25.6% versus 20.8%), but were less likely to have past-year diagnoses of arteriosclerosis (4.7% versus 6.0%) or cirrhosis (0.2% versus 0.4%). Disordered gamblers were significantly more likely than older adults without a history of regular gambling to have alcohol (53.2% versus 12.8%), nicotine (43.2% versus 8.0%), drug (4.6% versus 0.7%), mood (39.5% versus 11.0%), anxiety (34.5% versus 11.6%), and personality (43.0% versus 7.3%) disorders, and to have past-year diagnoses of arthritis (60.2% versus 44.3%) or angina (22.7% versus 8.8%). These results remained significant even after controlling for demographic, psychiatric, and behavioral risk factors. Conclusions: Lifetime recreational gamblers were more likely than nonregular gamblers to have psychiatric disorders but were less likely to have some medical conditions. Lifetime disordered gamblers had a range of lifetime psychiatric disorders and were more likely than nonregular gamblers to have past-year diagnoses of angina and arthritis.
AB - Objective: This study examined the association between gambling level and psychiatric and medical disorders in a nationally representative sample of older adults. Method: Data on 10,563 U.S. older adults (age 60 or older) were analyzed from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Results: A total 28.74% of older adults were lifetime recreational gamblers and 0.85% were lifetime disordered gamblers. Compared with older adults without a history of regular gambling, recreational gamblers had significantly elevated rates of alcohol (30.1% versus 12.8%), nicotine (16.9% versus 8.0%), mood (12.6% versus 11.0%), anxiety (15.0% versus 11.6%), and personality disorders (11.3% versus 7.3%) and obesity (25.6% versus 20.8%), but were less likely to have past-year diagnoses of arteriosclerosis (4.7% versus 6.0%) or cirrhosis (0.2% versus 0.4%). Disordered gamblers were significantly more likely than older adults without a history of regular gambling to have alcohol (53.2% versus 12.8%), nicotine (43.2% versus 8.0%), drug (4.6% versus 0.7%), mood (39.5% versus 11.0%), anxiety (34.5% versus 11.6%), and personality (43.0% versus 7.3%) disorders, and to have past-year diagnoses of arthritis (60.2% versus 44.3%) or angina (22.7% versus 8.8%). These results remained significant even after controlling for demographic, psychiatric, and behavioral risk factors. Conclusions: Lifetime recreational gamblers were more likely than nonregular gamblers to have psychiatric disorders but were less likely to have some medical conditions. Lifetime disordered gamblers had a range of lifetime psychiatric disorders and were more likely than nonregular gamblers to have past-year diagnoses of angina and arthritis.
KW - Epidemiology
KW - Health
KW - Older adults
KW - Pathological gambling
KW - Problem gambling
KW - Recreational gambling
KW - Substance abuse
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U2 - 10.1097/01.JGP.0000239353.40880.cc
DO - 10.1097/01.JGP.0000239353.40880.cc
M3 - Article
C2 - 17095749
AN - SCOPUS:34447329348
SN - 1064-7481
VL - 15
SP - 301
EP - 313
JO - American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
JF - American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
IS - 4
ER -