Top

Published in:

01-09-2018

A tale of two countries: comparing disability weights for gambling problems in New Zealand and Australia

Authors: Vijay Rawat, Matthew Browne, Maria Bellringer, Nancy Greer, Komathi Kolandai-Matchett, Matthew Rockloff, Erika Langham, Christine Hanley, Katie Palmer Du Preez, Max Abbott

Published in: Quality of Life Research | Issue 9/2018

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to assess the impact of gambling problems on quality of life. Specifically, we generated disability weight estimates for gambling problems in New Zealand, and compared these results with (i) Australian figures (J Gambl Issues, 10.4309/jgi.v0i36.3978, 2017) and (ii) other health states (Lancet, 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61680-8, 2013); such as anxiety and alcohol use disorders.

Method

The 324 participants (48 experts and 276 general population members) evaluated a series of gambling harm vignettes. The participants rated the decrement to one’s quality of life using Visual Analogue Scale and Time Trade-Off protocols (Br Med Bull, 10.1093/bmb/ldq033, 2010). These evaluations enabled the calculation of disability weights for three categories of gamblers (low-risk, moderate-risk, and problem gamblers).

Results

Disability weight estimates for low-risk, moderate-risk, and problem gamblers in NZ were consistently higher than the Australian weights: low (0.18 vs. 0.13), moderate (0.37 vs. 0.29), and problem (0.54 vs. 0.44). The quality of life impact for problem gambling in NZ (0.54) was comparable to that experienced in severe alcohol use disorder (0.55) (Lancet, 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61680-8, 2013).

Conclusions

This study represents one of the first attempts to assess gambling-related harm through a public health perspective. The results of this study are informative for policy-making, resource allocation, and service planning. These estimates now allow for the population-level impact of gambling in NZ to be calculated and tracked over time, which is essential for informing harm-minimisation initiatives.

See Browne et al. [13] for an illustration of the VAS and TTO tasks.

All Australian comparative data were sourced from Browne et al. [13].

Abbott, M., Bellringer, M., Garrett, N., & Mundy-McPherson, S. (2014). New Zealand 2012 national gambling study: Gambling harm and problem gambling. Retrieved from http://www.aut.ac.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/508588/Report-final-National-Gambling-Study-Report-No.-2.pdf. Accessed 12 Mar 2018.

Li, E., Browne, M., Rawat, V., Langham, E., & Rockloff, M. (2016). Breaking bad: Comparing gambling harms among gamblers and affected others. Journal of Gambling Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-016-9632-8.CrossRefPubMed

Kohler, D. (2014). A monetary valuation of the quality of life loss associated with pathological gambling: An application using a health utility index. Journal of Gambling Issues. https://doi.org/10.4309/jgi.2014.29.9.CrossRef

Browne, M., Langham, E., Rawat, V., Greer, N., Li, E., Rose, J., et al. (2016). Assessing gambling-related harm in Victoria: A public health perspective. Retrieved from https://www.responsiblegambling.vic.gov.au/information-and-resources/research/recent-research/assessing-gambling-related-harm-in-victoria-a-public-health-perspective. Accessed 12 Mar 2018.

Hare, S. (2015). Study of gambling and health in Victoria. Retrieved from https://www.responsiblegambling.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/25551/Study_of_gambling_and_health_in_Victoria.pdf. Accessed 12 Mar 2018.

Volberg, R., Williams, R., Stanek, E., Houpt, A., Zorn, M., & Rodriguez-Monguio, R. (2015). Gambling and problem gambling in Massachusetts: Results of a baseline population survey. Retrieved from http://www.umass.edu/seigma/sites/default/files/SEIGMA%20Baseline%20Survey%20Report_Final.pdf. Accessed 12 Mar 2018.

Morasco, B. J., & Petry, N. M. (2006). Gambling problems and health functioning in individuals receiving disability. Disability and Rehabilitation. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638280500242507.PubMedCrossRef

Morasco, B. J., Pietrzak, R. H., Blanco, C., Grant, B. F., Hasin, D., & Petry, N. M. (2006). Health problems and medical utilization associated with gambling disorders: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on alcohol and related conditions. Psychosomatic Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.psy.0000238466.76172.cd.PubMedCrossRef

Morasco, B. J., Eigen, V., K. A., & Petry, N. M. (2006). Severity of gambling is associated with physical and emotional health in urban primary care patients. General Hospital Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2005.09.004.PubMedCrossRef

10.

Erickson, L., Molina, C. A., Ladd, G. T., Pietrzak, R. H., & Petry, N. M. (2005). Problem and pathological gambling are associated with poorer mental and physical health in older adults. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.1357.PubMedCrossRef

11.

Pietrzak, R. H., Molina, C. A., Ladd, G. T., Kerins, G. J., & Petry, N. M. (2005). Health and psychosocial correlates of disordered gambling in older adults. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1097/00019442-200506000-00010.PubMedCrossRef

12.

Ware, J., Kosinski, M., Turner-Bowker, D., & Gandek, B. (2002). How to score version 2 of the SF-12 health survey. Lincoln, RI: Quality Metrics.

13.

Browne, M., Rawat, V., Greer, N., Langham, E., Rockloff, M., & Hanley, C. (2017). What is the harm? Applying a public health methodology to measure the impact of gambling problems and harm on quality of life. Journal of Gambling Issues. https://doi.org/10.4309/jgi.v0i36.3978.CrossRef

14.

Langham, E., Thorne, H., Browne, M., Donaldson, P., Rose, J., & Rockloff, M. (2016). Understanding gambling related harm: A proposed definition, conceptual framework, and taxonomy of harms. BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-2747-0.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef

15.

Korn, D., & Shaffer, H. (1999). Gambling and the health of the public: Adopting a public health perspective. Journal of Gambling Studies. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1023005115932.PubMedCrossRef

16.

Browne, M., Bellinger, M., Greer, N., Kolandai-Matchett, K., Rawat, V., Langham, E., et al. (2017). Measuring the burden of gambling harm in New Zealand. New Zealand Ministry of Health. Retrieved from http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/measuring-burden-gambling-harm-new-zealand. Accessed 12 Mar 2018.

17.

Whitehead, S. J., & Ali, S. (2010). Health outcomes in economic evaluation: The QALY and utilities. British Medical Bulletin. https://doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldq033.PubMedCrossRef

18.

Ferris, J., & Wynne, H. (2001). The Canadian problem gambling index: Final report. http://greo.ca/sites/default/files/documents/Ferris%20et%20al%282001%29The_Canadian_Problem_Gambling_Index.pdf. Accessed 12 Mar 2018.

19.

Orford, J., Wardle, H., Griffiths, M., Sproston, K., & Erens, B. (2010). PGSI and DSM-IV in the 2007 British gambling prevalence survey: Reliability, item response, factor structure and inter-scale agreement. International Gambling Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/14459790903567132.CrossRef

20.

Wardle, H., Moody, A., Spence, S., Orford, J., Volberg, R., Jotangia, D., et al. (2011). British gambling prevalence survey. Retrieved from http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/British%20Gambling%20Prevalence%20Survey%202010.pdf. Accessed 12 Mar 2018.

21.

Bennett, K., Torrance, G., Boyle, M., Guscott, R., & Moran, L. (2000). Development and testing of a utility measure for major, unipolar depression (McSad). Quality of Life Research. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008952602494.

22.

Rowen, D., Brazier, J., & Van Hout, B. (2014). A comparison of methods for converting DCE values onto the full health-dead QALY scale. Medical Decision Making. https://doi.org/10.1177/02729-89X14559542.CrossRefPubMed

23.

Salomon, J., Vos, T., Hogan, D., Gagnon, M., Naghavi, M., Mokdad, A., et al. (2013). Common values in assessing health outcomes from disease and injury: Disability weights measurement study for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. The Lancet. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61680-8.CrossRefPubMed

24.

Barlow, R. E., Bartholomew, D. J., Bremner, J. M., & Brunk, H. D. (1972). Statistical inference under order restrictions. London: Wiley.

25.

Robertson, T., Wright, F. T., & Dykstra, R. L. (1988). Order restricted statistical inference. New York: Wiley.

26.

Blaszczynski, A. (2014). Problem gambling: we should measure harm rather than ‘cases’. Addiction. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02505.x.CrossRef

27.

Productivity Commission. (2010). Gambling. Retrieved from http://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/gambling-2009/report. Accessed 12 Mar 2018.

28.

Barbist, M.-T., Renn, D., Noisternig, B., Rumpold, G., & Hofer, S. (2008). How do medical students value health on the EQ-5D? Evaluation of hypothetical health states compared to the general population. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes. https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7525-6-111.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef

29.

Haagsma, J. A., Polinder, S., Cassini, A., Colzani, E., & Havelaar, A. H. (2014). Review of disability weight studies: Comparison of methodological choices and values. Population Health Metrics. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12963-014-0020-2.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef

30.

Miller, H. E., & Thomas, S. (2017). The “walk of shame”: A qualitative study of the influences on negative stereotyping of problem gambling on gambling attitudes and behaviours. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-017-9749-8.PubMedCrossRef

31.

Miller, H. E., Thomas, S., Robinson, P., & Daube, M. (2014). How the causes, consequences and solutions for problem gambling are reported in Australian newspapers: A qualitative content analysis. Australian New Zealand Journal of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12251.CrossRefPubMed

32.

Schwarzinger, M., Stouthard, M. E., Burstrom, K., & Nord, E. (2003). Cross-national agreement on disability weights: The European disability weights project. Population Health Metrics. https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-7954-1-9.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef

33.

Haagsma, J., Havelaar, A., Janssen, A. H., Bonsel, B.,M., G.J (2008). Disability adjusted life years and minimal disease: Application of a preference-based relevance criterion to rank enteric pathogens. Population Health Metrics. https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-7954-6-7.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef

34.

Nord, E. (1991). The validity of a visual analogue scale in determining social utility weights for health states. Int J Health Plann Manage, 6, 234–242.CrossRefPubMed

35.

Murray, C. J., Vos, T., Lozano, R., Naghavi, M., Flaxman, A. D., Michaud, C., et al. (2013). Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 291 diseases and injuries in 21 regions, 1990–2010: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. The Lancet. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61689-4.CrossRefPubMed

Title: A tale of two countries: comparing disability weights for gambling problems in New Zealand and Australia
Authors: Vijay Rawat
Matthew Browne
Maria Bellringer
Nancy Greer
Komathi Kolandai-Matchett
Matthew Rockloff
Erika Langham
Christine Hanley
Katie Palmer Du Preez
Max Abbott
Publication date: 01-09-2018
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Published in: Quality of Life Research / Issue 9/2018
Print ISSN: 0962-9343
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2649
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-018-1882-8

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

Springer Medicine

A tale of two countries: comparing disability weights for gambling problems in New Zealand and Australia

Abstract

Purpose

Method

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Method

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 9/2018

Combining online and in-person methods to evaluate the content validity of PROMIS fatigue short forms in rheumatoid arthritis

Validity of the PROMIS depression and anxiety common metrics in an online sample of Australian adults

Effects of substance use screening and brief intervention on health-related quality of life

The association between physical activity, fitness and body mass index on mental well-being and quality of life in adolescents

Engaging patients and caregivers in prioritizing symptoms impacting quality of life for Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy

The relationship between alexithymia and headache impact: the role of somatization and pain catastrophizing