Problem Gambling and the Circumstances Facing Older People

Local gambling venues are an important contemporary context for older people's gambling in many parts of the world typically being more accessible to this segment of the population than traditional, centralised gambling venues, such as casinos. This study, undertaken in South East Queensland, analyses older people's electronic gaming machine (EGM) behaviour and motivations, specifically in the context of licensed social and recreational clubs-a popular local gambling venue in many parts of Australia. The study gathered data via a postal survey of 80 managers of licensed clubs, interviews with Gambling Help services and a survey of 414 people aged 60+ who regularly play EGMs, self-administered on site at local clubs. The analysis undertaken suggests that certain age-related circumstances of older people-such as being without a partner, having a disability that impacts on everyday activities, having a low annual income, and no longer participating in the workforce-are associated with higher overall levels of motivation for playing EGMs and greater reliance on EGMs to meet social, recreational and mental health needs. Over a quarter of the older people surveyed (27%) reported drawing on their savings to fund their EGM gambling. Certain categories of older people, including those who were without a partner and those with a disability, were more likely to report drawing on their savings to fund EGM play and betting more than they could afford to lose, pointing to age-related vulnerabilities older people may experience to the negative impacts of gambling given the greater likelihood of their dependency on smaller, fixed incomes. The explanatory contribution of a range of demographic and motivational variables on problem/moderate risk gambling status was computed via a logistic regression model. Younger age (60-69), male gender, single marital status and being motivated to play EGMs to experience excitement and to win money all emerged as significant predictors in the model.     

Comparability of the 6-min walk test using different test configurations

The 6-min walk test (6MWT) is a common component of fitness assessments of older adults; however, differing course configurations might affect 6MWT performance. It is unclear how comparable 2 different configurations are. To determine the comparability of 2 courses, 35 adults >65 years of age completed two 6MWT, once walking around a 20- by 5-yd outdoor rectangle and once on an indoor oval track (circumference 144.3 yd). Scores for the 2 tests were internally consistent (intraclass correlation coefficient = .95). The participants walked farther on the oval track than around the rectangle (639 +/- 19 vs. 582 +/- 16 yd; p < .0001), but responses to the rectangular configuration could be readily estimated using the equation 66.7 yd + 0.807 x (oval walking distance), R2 = .85. Thus, within-participant responses are similar across both 6MWT, but the course configuration affects the distance walked.     

Contraceptive sterilization in Puerto Rico

For twenty years Puerto Rico has had the world’s highest prevalence of sterilization. From the 1982 Puerto Rico Fertility and Family Planning Assessment we examine whether the probability of obtaining sterilization is changing and what impact sterilization has on fertility, finding that the use of contraceptive sterilization has not declined and will probably continue to increase in Puerto Rico. Nonuse rather than temporary methods of contraception is the second most likely circumstance after sterilization. We also find that sterilization has reduced the total marital fertility rate by over 33 percent, thus having a significant effect on reducing the rate of natural increase; by all indications, it will have a greater effect in the future.     

Rural electrification and fertility change

This article addresses the possible linkage between the spread of electrification in rural areas and subsequent declines in human fertility. Evidence from nine studies in six countries is reviewed and compared. The conclusion from this review is that there is, in fact, some link and that the higher the level of rural electrification the higher is contraceptive prevalence and the lower is the level of fertility. This link appears puzzling at first glance, but the article proposes a conceptual and theoretical framework for interpreting these results and fitting them into accepted theories of fertility. Finally, some important policy implications are discussed and future directions for research indicated.This paper was prepared for a workshop on The Relationship between Rural Electrification and Fertility Decline sponsored by the National Rural Electrical Cooperatives Association and the Population Issues Research Center of Pennsylvania State University. The workshop was held in Washington, D.C. on November 15, 1984. (Copies of a summary of the proceedings of the workshop can be obtained from Mr. Philip P. Costas, International Programs Division, National Rural Electrical Cooperatives Association, 1800 Massachusetts Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036, U.S.A.) The authors received helpful comments on the paper from Richard Bilsborrow, Gretchen Cornwell, Gordon DeJong, Ronald Freedman, and Ozzie Simmons as well as many other participants in the workshop.     

Proxemics: The application of theory to conflict arising from antiabortion demonstrations

Theories concerning the cultural use of space have found an unexpected application. Antiabortion demonstrators at Boulder Abortion Clinic in Boulder, Colorado became increasingly aggressive and provoked widespread community opposition to their activities. As the result of harassment of the clinic's patients, a prochoice group asked the Boulder City Council to enact a "buffer zone" ordinance to protect women entering the clinic from antiabortion harassment. The ordinance, containing specific approach distance limitations, was adopted and was immediately challenged in court. Clinic officials then called Dr. Edward Hall and a social psychologist, Dr. Marianne LaFrance, to testify concerning proxemic theory. The ordinance was upheld.     

THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF REGULATION IN MARKETS WITH NAÏVE CONSUMERS

In a model of a competitive industry selling base goods and add‐ons, we investigate the conditions under which citizen‐consumers will support policies that eliminate behavioral inefficiencies induced by naïve consumers. Unregulated competitive markets have two effects: they produce deadweight losses, and they redistribute income away from biased consumers. Both unbiased and naïve consumers believe that they benefit from this redistribution (the naïve consumers are wrong), so support for efficiency‐improving regulation is limited. Extending our model to consumers with partial sophistication about their naïveté, we predict patterns of regulation consistent with the form and timing of the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009.     

Florida ADs and Homologous Reproduction

Kanter’s (Men and women of the corporation, Basic Books, New York, 1977) proposition that those in control within organizations sustain their dominance through homologous reproduction was first applied to sport by [Knoppers, Quest 39(1):9–22, 1987]. Applying the construct to interscholastic athletics in Ohio (Stangl and Kane, Sociol Sport J 8:47–60, 1991) and in Texas (Lovett and Lowry, J Sport Manage 8:27–35, 1994) researchers were able to provide a theoretical foundation to support the anecdotal “good old boys network” which prevailed in high school athletics. This study conducted in Florida determined that while sport remained a male dominated institution, homologous reproduction did not appear to be the factor sustaining the current organizational structure within interscholastic athletic departments.