TY - JOUR
T1 - Gambling participation and social support among older adults
T2 - A longitudinal community study
AU - Bilt, Joni Vander
AU - Dodge, Hiroko H.
AU - Pandav, Rajesh
AU - Shaffer, Howard J.
AU - Ganguli, Mary
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported, in part, by funding from the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services (#AG07562). In addition, the authors would like to acknowledge the efforts of the MoVIES project staff and the cooperation of the MoVIES cohort.
PY - 2004
Y1 - 2004
N2 - The purpose of this preliminary study was to examine associations between leaving home to engage in bingo or gambling activity and indices of physical and mental health and social support among a representative community cohort of 1016 elderly people. Cross-sectional and longitudinal data gathered from a prospective epidemiological study in a rural, low socio-economic status, area of Pennsylvania was employed. The cohort had a mean age of 78.8 (SD = 5.1) (range 71-97) and participated in three consecutive biennial "waves" of data collection. Nearly half (47.7) of the cohort reported gambling. To predict gambling, the independent variables included age, sex, education, employment, social support, depressive symptoms, self-rated health, alcohol use, cigarette use, and cognitive functioning. In cross-sectional, univariate analyses, gambling was associated with younger age, sex (male), fewer years of education, greater social support, lower depression scores, better self-rated health, alcohol use in the past year, and higher cognitive functioning. In a cross-sectional multiple regression model, younger age, greater social support, and alcohol use in the past year remain strongly and independently associated with gambling activity. Longitudinally, age, sex, social support, alcohol use, and gambling are predictive of future gambling activity. The results revealed that gambling may offer a forum of social support to older adults who are often isolated as they age.
AB - The purpose of this preliminary study was to examine associations between leaving home to engage in bingo or gambling activity and indices of physical and mental health and social support among a representative community cohort of 1016 elderly people. Cross-sectional and longitudinal data gathered from a prospective epidemiological study in a rural, low socio-economic status, area of Pennsylvania was employed. The cohort had a mean age of 78.8 (SD = 5.1) (range 71-97) and participated in three consecutive biennial "waves" of data collection. Nearly half (47.7) of the cohort reported gambling. To predict gambling, the independent variables included age, sex, education, employment, social support, depressive symptoms, self-rated health, alcohol use, cigarette use, and cognitive functioning. In cross-sectional, univariate analyses, gambling was associated with younger age, sex (male), fewer years of education, greater social support, lower depression scores, better self-rated health, alcohol use in the past year, and higher cognitive functioning. In a cross-sectional multiple regression model, younger age, greater social support, and alcohol use in the past year remain strongly and independently associated with gambling activity. Longitudinally, age, sex, social support, alcohol use, and gambling are predictive of future gambling activity. The results revealed that gambling may offer a forum of social support to older adults who are often isolated as they age.
KW - aging
KW - epidemiology
KW - gambling
KW - prospective study
KW - social support
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=10044241818&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=10044241818&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10899-004-4580-0
DO - 10.1007/s10899-004-4580-0
M3 - Article
C2 - 15577273
AN - SCOPUS:10044241818
VL - 20
SP - 373
EP - 389
JO - Journal of Gambling Behavior
JF - Journal of Gambling Behavior
SN - 0742-0714
IS - 4
ER -