title: Childhood impulsive behavior and problem gambling by adulthood: a 30-year prospective community-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Problem gambling can create major financial, emotional and sometimes criminal problems for an individual. This study prospectively investigated the association between impulsive behavior at age 7 and the development of life-time problem gambling by adulthood. We also examined the specificity of any observed association between impulsive behaviors and problem gambling by conducting parallel analyses examining the link between respondents' shy/depressed behavior in childhood and later problem gambling.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort study of 958 offspring of mothers enrolled in the Collaborative Perinatal Project who participated in an adult follow-up study at a mean age of 39.2 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to determine associations between psychologist-rated impulsive and shy/depressed behaviors at age 7 and life-time self-reported gambling as measured by the South Oaks Gambling Screen administered during the adult follow-up study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children who exhibited impulsive behaviors at age 7, compared to their non-impulsive counterparts, were 3.09 (95% confidence interval: 1.40-6.82) times as likely to report problem gambling years later. In contrast, we did not find a significant association between childhood shy/depressed behavior and problem gambling by adulthood in adjusted analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Impulsive behaviors at age 7 are a specific and significant risk factor for later problem gambling.
authors.affiliation: Maternal and Child Health Program, Department of Family Science, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA. shenassa@umd.edu
authors.forename: Edmond D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Shenassa
authors.forename: Angela D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Paradis
authors.forename: Sara L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Dolan
authors.forename: Charlotte S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
authors.forename: Stephen L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Buka
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009511:New England; D010551:Personality; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D012792:Shyness; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult