The prevalence and types of gambling among undocumented Mexican immigrants in New York City.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the prevalence of gambling and types of gambling activities in a sample of undocumented Mexican immigrants.


METHODS
Non-probability cross-sectional design.


METHODS
New York City.


METHODS
The 431 respondents ranged in age from 18 to 80 (mean age 32), 69.7% were male.


RESULTS
More than half (53.8%) reported gambling in their lifetime and of those most (43.9%) played 'scratch and win' tickets or the lottery. In multivariate analyses men reported gambling more than women [2.13, 95% CI = (1.03, 4.38)]. The odds of gambling in their lifetime were higher among those reporting sending money to family or friends in the home country [2.65, 95% CI = 1.10, 6.38)], and those who reported 1-5 days as compared to no days of poor mental health in the past 30 days [2.44, 95% CI = 1.22, 4.89)]. Conversely, those who reported entering the U.S. to live after 1996 were less likely to report gambling [0.44, 95% CI = (0.22, 0.89)] as compared to those who had lived in the U.S. longer.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a need to further explore both the prevalence and the severity of gambling amongst the growing population of undocumented Mexican immigrants in the U.S.
Momper
Sandra L
SL
School of Social Work, University of Michigan, 1080 South University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. smomper@umich.edu
Nandi
Vijay
V
Ompad
Danielle C
DC
Delva
Jorge
J
Galea
Sandro
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*