Gambling level and psychiatric and medical disorders in older adults: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the association between gambling level and psychiatric and medical disorders in a nationally representative sample of older adults.


METHODS
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.
Pietrzak
Robert H
RH
Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030-3944, USA.
Morasco
Benjamin J
BJ
Blanco
Carlos
C
Grant
Bridget F
BF
Petry
Nancy M
NM
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001168:Arthritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D007174:Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D012016:Reference Values; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013272:Stomach Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States