The impact of parental gambling problems on the health and wellbeing of children

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Author(s): Tulloch, Catherine ; Hing, Nerilee ; Browne, Matthew ; Rockloff, Matthew J. ; Hilbrecht, Margo

Journal: Applied Research in Quality of Life

Year Published: 2022

Date Added: June 21, 2022

Gambling-related harms can impact children living with parents experiencing a gambling problem. This study examined the impacts of parental gambling problems on the health and wellbeing of children. Specifically, the study explored whether harms to the health and wellbeing of children increase with more severe parental problem gambling. The researchers analyzed data from Growing up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. The analysis examined responses from a total of 3,695 children across two cohorts aged 12 and 16 years. Around 49% of children were female. The researchers found that children whose parent(s) had some level of gambling problems had poorer health, more anxiety and/or lower mood symptoms, and more behavioural and emotional problems.

Citation: Tulloch, C., Hing, N., Browne, M., Rockloff, M., & Hilbrecht, M. (2022). Parental gambling and the health and wellbeing of children derived from two nationally representative cohorts of Australian children. Applied Research in Quality of Life. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-022-10052-0

Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-022-10052-0

Keywords: children ; family impacts ; family relationships ; gambling harm ; gambling problems ; health ; parental gambling ; well-being

Topics: Children and Youth ; Family and Friends ; Priority Populations

Conceptual Framework Factors: Environment - Social and Economic Impacts ; Psychological Factors ; Social - Family and Peer Gambling Involvement ; Gambling Environment ; Psychological - Lifespan Development ; Social Factors ; Psychological - Subjective Well-Being

Study Design: Secondary Data Analysis

Geographic Coverage: Australia

Study Population: The researchers used wave 7 data from Growing up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) that was collected in 2016. A total of 3,695 respondents across both cohorts were used in this study. At the time of data collection, participants in the first cohort (Cohort B) were around 12 years and participants in the second cohort (Cohort K) were around 16 years. Across both samples, 49.1% of respondents were female.

Sampling Procedure: Participants of the Growing up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) study were recruited using a probability sample design. This current study conducted a secondary analysis using the data from wave 7 collected in 2016.

Study Funding:

Catherine Tulloch was supported by a Central Queensland University Research Stipend Scholarship and a New South Wales Office of Responsible gambling part-PhD scholarship.