title: Adolescent gambling behaviour, a single latent construct and indicators of risk: findings from a national survey of New Zealand high school students.
abstract: This study explores underlying latent construct/s of gambling behaviour, and identifies indicators of "unhealthy gambling". Data were collected from Youth'07 a nationally representative sample of New Zealand secondary school students (N = 9107). Exploratory factor analyses, item-response theory analyses, multiple indicators-multiple causes, and differential item functioning analyses were used to assess dimensionality of gambling behaviour, underlying factors, and indicators of unhealthy gambling. A single underlying continuum of gambling behaviour was identified. Gambling frequency and 'gambling because I can't stop' were most strongly associated with unhealthy gambling. Gambling to 'feel better about myself' and to 'forget about things' provided the most precise discriminants of unhealthy gambling. Multivariable analyses found that school connectedness was associated with lower levels of unhealthy gambling.
authors.affiliation: Social and Community Health, School of Population Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142 New Zealand.
authors.forename: Fiona V
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Rossen
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Social Care, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK ; Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Mathijs F G
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Lucassen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand ; Department of Paediatrics: Child and Youth Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Theresa M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Janie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sheridan
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics: Child and Youth Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Simon J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Denny