Gambling Linked to Good Health in the Elderly

[OTABILL]

The February issue of Arizona Gaming Guide has an interesting article positing that "With every trip to the casino elderly gamblers who are 65 years and older may essentially be increasing their life span!" The article cites a 2010 study published in the Journal of Applied Behavioral Alaysis. Obviously, this doesn't apply to problem gamblers. Something to think about.  http://www.azgamingguide.com/  

[BillyJoe]

That's what I need - more encouragement..

[kjohn]

Just what I needed to know as I turn 70. Now I can relax, inhale smoke and sit for hours knowing that I'm extending my life.....

[OTABILL]

Just what I needed to know as I turn 70. Now I can relax, inhale smoke and sit for hours knowing that I'm extending my life.....
 That is the one part I don't get. How can breathing in smoke be good for your health. Then again, the study probably doesn't factor in second hand smoke. Probably looks at non-smoking areas in casinos, etc.

[Frank Kneeland]

The devil is in the details. I went back and read the study referenced in the article and discovered they selected for people that like gambling. In essence this study proves that people who like gambling, like gambling. I'm not sure that is NEWS.Here's some quotes from the Journal of Applied Behavioral Analysis study you may find interesting:1. Results indicated that all residents exhibited a higher percentage of
happiness levels while engaged in simulated gambling activities compared
with baseline. Follow-up assessment took place 10 min and 30 min
following the intervention; no lasting effects were observed. (seems to me if you take bored people in a rest home and give them anything to do they'd perk up for a little bit)2. Any participant who selected gambling less than second most frequently (during a preference test) was excluded from the study3. No actual money was exchanged during the course of the experiment. Thus,
the gambling activity was an analogue to actual gambling. (it was only simulated with no chance of loss)If nothing else, I found the study to be inconclusive. Direction of causation is not certain and they did insufficient control group testing. They compared adding simulated gambling to senior's schedules vs. their normal activities. Remember they use to think owning cats extended your life, and then they found out that people who live longer tend to own cats more. Here the direction of causation is even more uncertain.At the end of the study they said this, "However, because all participants in the current study had a history of
and preference for gambling activities, it is unknown whether these
effects would generalize to an elderly population that does not have
experience with gambling." All this research should be taken to mean is that we need more research. It is neither wrong or right. It is inconclusive and incomplete. That is of course just my opinion. Oh well the scientists that did the study said it as well."However, additional research is needed to identify factors that promote
mental and emotional well-being during these later years of life." ~Mark R Dixon, Becky L Nastally, and Amber Waterman~FK

[Frank Kneeland]

I hope someone read my previous post in this thread, it took a lot of research time...

[New2vp]

I hope someone read my previous post in this thread, it took a lot of research time...
I did.  And I read this one too, even though it took less research time.

[OTABILL]

I hope someone read my previous post in this thread, it took a lot of research time...

 Thanks for reading the Journal study and putting the results in perspective. Appreciate your comments. I did not read the study as I did not have full access. The original article left out important details you provided. Hopefully, someone will use this study as a springboard to a more comprehensive study and factor in all contributing factors.