How much of a problem is problem gambling?

Problem gambling is conventionally defined by the score in a specific questionnaire exceeding some critical value and data suggests is that 0.7% of adults in the UK could be afflicted. However, the literature has not evaluated the size of the harm associated with such an affliction and this research evaluates the effect of problem gambling on self-reported well-being which, together with a corresponding effect of income on well-being, allows us to construct a money-metric of the (self) harm associated with being a problem gambler. Our estimates suggest that problem gambling imposes a very large reduction in individual well-being

ITV vs BBC: How gambling advertising during the World Cup influences impulsive football betting

Abstract Introduction: The pervasiveness of gambling advertising and its relationship with football have been identified as areas of concern in the UK. Following the liberalisation of advertising laws in the 2005 Gambling Act, there has been increasing recognition of its public health impact. To date, there is a lack of evidence of the impact of advertising on behaviour in “real-world” settings. Methods: This study employs a natural experiment measuring the impact of television gambling advertising on the frequency of impulsive football bets placed during the World Cup. Longitudinal betting data collected from a sample of men (aged 18-45) will be linked with individual exposure to two TV channels: ITV (adverts) and BBC (no adverts). This is a unique opportunity to measure the causal impact of gambling advertising on behaviour during a widely-televised sporting event. Data Analysis: Panel data statistical models will be employed; advertising will be determined using the television channel. Statistical analyses will estimate the interaction effect between watching a live game which occurs on ITV. Alternative windows of impulsive betting around the live game will be tested. Results: Data collection commences in November, with data analysis complete by early 2023. Statement of implications: If a relationship exists between television gambling advertising and impulsive football betting, then policies which restrict advertising around live sports might be a crucial part of a public health approach to tackle gambling-related harm. If no relationship exists, then current industry policies might not be sufficient in reducing harm

The impact of the Whistle-to-Whistle ban on the frequency and placement of gambling advertising on UK television

Abstract Introduction: There are currently no legally enforced restrictions on the broadcast time of gambling advertising on UK television. In August 2019, the Industry Group for Responsible Gambling (IGRG) introduced a voluntary policy which limited advertising around live sports, creating a “safe” window of 5 minutes either side of a match, known as the “Whistle-to-Whistle” period. This policy intended to protect young and vulnerable people from the widespread exposure to gambling adverts on television during pre-watershed (9pm) live sports games. Methods: This study will employ panel data statistical models to explore the change in pre-watershed gambling advertising around live sports, and other sporting programmes, following the introduction of the “whistle-to-whistle” ban. It will explore spill-overs to post-watershed, and non-sports channels to assess the industry’s response to the policy. Data: Data comprises six months of advertising data obtained from Nielsen Media covering 1st September to 1st December 2018, and 2019. Data is compiled using the BARB (Broadcasters Audience Research Board) definition of gambling. Analyses will compare the impact on weekdays and weekends, pre and post-watershed, for different genres of television programme. Results & Conclusions: Data analysis commences in November 2022 and is due to be completed in early 2023. Statement of implications: If such policies are effective in reducing the number of gambling adverts on television, then they might be implemented legally in the UK broadcasting codes. Identifying spread to other channels, or post-watershed television, will help to understand the potential unintended consequences of the policy

Additional file 3 of Paramedic attitudes towards prehospital spinal care: a cross-sectional survey

Additional file 3. Free-text responses by questio

Additional file 2 of Paramedic attitudes towards prehospital spinal care: a cross-sectional survey

Additional file 2. Raw Dat

Additional file 1 of Paramedic attitudes towards prehospital spinal care: a cross-sectional survey

Additional file 1. Survey Paramedic attitudes towards prehospital treatment of potential spine injurie

Solitary drinkers in Great Britain: how do their sociodemographic characteristics, consumption patterns, and drinking occasions differ from those who drink with others?

Objective: Inequalities in alcohol-related harm may arise partly from differences in drinking practices between population groups. One under-researched practice associated with harm is consuming alcohol alone. We identify sociodemographic characteristics associated with drinking alone and the occasion-level characteristics associated with occasions when people drink alone. Method: A cross-sectional analysis of one-week drinking diaries collected between 2015 and 2019 was conducted using event-level data on 271,738 drinking occasions reported by 83,952 adult drinkers in Great Britain. Our two dependent variables were a binary indicator of reporting at least one solitary drinking occasion in the diary-week at the individual-level and a binary indicator of drinking alone at the occasion-level (event-level). Results: Individual-level characteristics associated with solitary drinking were being a man (OR 1.88, 95%CI [1.80,1.96]), aged over 50 (OR 2.60, 95%CI [2.40,2.81]), not in a relationship (OR 3.39, 95%CI [3.20, 3.59]), living alone (OR 2.51, 95%CI [2.37, 2.66]), and a high-risk drinker (OR 1.54, 95%CI [1.52,1.59]). Occasion-level characteristics associated with solitary drinking were that they were more likely to occur in the off-trade (OR 3.08, 95%CI [2.95,3.21]), Monday-Thursday (OR 1.36, 95%CI [1.27,1.47]), and after 10pm (OR 1.36, 95%CI [1.27,1.47]) controlling for geographic region and the month the interview took place. Conclusions: Characteristics of solitary drinking largely align with characteristics we associated with drinking problems. Those who partake in at least one solitary drinking occasion are overall more likely to consume alcohol at risky levels, however, the number of drinks consumed in each occasion was lower during a solitary drinking occasion