title: Gambling behavior and gambling problems in Norway 2007.
abstract: In Norway, legalized gambling is pervasive, easily accessible and socially accepted, particularly the participation in national lotteries. We conducted a stratified probability sample study during January-March 2007 (age group 16-74 years, N = 3,482, response rate 36.1%) to assess gambling behavior and prevalence of problematic gambling by the NORC Diagnostic Screen (NODS). Overall, 67.9% of the study population had been engaged in past-year gambling and 0.7% were past-year problematic gamblers (NODS score 3+). Male gender, low educational level, single marital status, and being born in a non-Western country were variables positively associated with problematic gambling. Past-year problematic gamblers indicated the slot machine (34.6%) and Internet gambling (26.9%) as the most important games, while most non-problematic gamblers pointed out the lotteries (62.3%) as the most important game. The prevalence of self-reported sleeping disorders, depression and other psychological impairments was significantly higher among problematic gamblers. Gambling problems affect people's lives in multiple ways.
authors.affiliation: SINTEF Health Research, Trondheim, Norway. inger.bakken@sintef.no
authors.forename: Inger Johanne
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Bakken
authors.forename: K Gunnar
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Götestam
authors.forename: Rolf W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Gråwe
authors.forename: Hanne Gro
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Wenzel
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Øren
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D007174:Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution