Gambling, housing conditions, community contexts and child health in remote indigenous communities in the Northern Territory, Australia

Matthew Stevens,Ross Bailie

doi:10.1186/1471-2458-12-377

Abstract

BackgroundRecent government reports have identified gambling, along with alcohol abuse, drug abuse and pornography, as contributing to child neglect and abuse in Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory (NT). These reports also identify gaps in empirical evidence upon which to base sound policy. To address this shortfall, data from ten remote Indigenous communities was analysed to determine the relationship between gambling problems, housing conditions, community contexts and child health in indigenous communities.MethodsLogistic regression was used to assess associations between gambling problems, community contexts, housing conditions and child health. Separate multivariable models were developed for carer reported gambling problems in houses and six child health outcomes.ResultsCarer reported gambling problems in households across the ten communities ranged from 10% to 74%. Inland tropical communities had the highest level of reported gambling problems. Less access to a doctor in the community showed evidence of a multivariable adjusted association with gambling problems in houses. No housing variables showed evidence for a multivariable association with reported gambling problems. There was evidence for gambling problems having a multivariable adjusted association with carer report of scabies and ear infection in children.ConclusionsThe analyses provide evidence that gambling is a significant problem in Indigenous communities and that gambling problems in households is related to poor child health outcomes. A comprehensive (prevention, treatment, regulation and education) public health approach to harm minimisation associated with gambling amongst the Indigenous population is required that builds on current normative community regulation of gambling.

Highlights

Recent government reports have identified gambling, along with alcohol abuse, drug abuse and pornography, as contributing to child neglect and abuse in Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory (NT)
This paper explores the complex associations between gambling problems, child health outcomes, housing conditions and community contexts using a rich data set from ten Indigenous communities in the NT
Very few housing variables showed evidence of an association with reported gambling problems, so results are only presented in text

Summary

Introduction

Recent government reports have identified gambling, along with alcohol abuse, drug abuse and pornography, as contributing to child neglect and abuse in Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory (NT). These reports identify gaps in empirical evidence upon which to base sound policy. Consequences of community card games Research in the NT up until the early 1980s found gambling to be a relatively benign activity that allowed Aboriginal people to express traditional kinship ties of sharing and was perceived as a good fit with hunter and gatherer belief systems-namely luck [2,6]. The boom and bust cycle associated with losing and having a big win, increased family tensions and an erosion of traditional kinship relations, and children not attending school were noted in these studies [4,8]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion