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Independent Correlates of Reported Gambling Problems Amongst Indigenous Australians

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Abstract

To identify independent correlates of reported gambling problems amongst the Indigenous population of Australia. A cross-sectional design was applied to a nationally representative sample of the Indigenous population. Estimates of reported gambling problems are presented by remoteness and jurisdiction. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent correlates of reported gambling problems amongst individuals and their social and family networks. The analysis was stratified by remoteness. Indigenous people living in remote locations reported significantly more gambling problems than those living in non-remote locations. In non-remote areas, being female, having high personal income, being more socially connected (i.e. involved in an Indigenous organisation or living in a household where all members were Indigenous) and reporting community problems were associated with higher levels of reported gambling problems. In remote areas, multifamily households, participation in sports and cultural events, and reporting of community problems were associated with higher reported gambling problems, while having a relative removed from their natural family was associated with lower reported problems. Problematic gambling is clearly related to the social and environmental contexts in which it occurs. Harm minimisation policies that focus on a reduction in crowding (especially in remote locations), increased public awareness of the negative consequences of gambling, improving access to support services, and lifting the socioeconomic status of Indigenous people may reduce gambling related harm in the medium to long term.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank representatives of the Ministerial Council on Gambling for comments on an earlier draft of the manuscript. The authors thank Gambling Research Australia (GRA) for funding the research.

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  1. Institute of Advanced Studies, School for Social and Policy Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, 0909, Australia

    Matthew Stevens & Martin Young

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  1. Matthew Stevens
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Correspondence to Matthew Stevens.

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Stevens, M., Young, M. Independent Correlates of Reported Gambling Problems Amongst Indigenous Australians. Soc Indic Res 98, 147–166 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-009-9536-4

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