Planteamiento de la hipótesis específica 4:

Overall, 1.7% of the sample reported that their mother/stepmother/foster mother had a gambling problem when they were growing up.

5.2.4.1 Magnitude of risk for the maternal transmission of problem gambling behaviour

Table 5.10 displays the cross-tabulation of maternal problem gambling and participant problem gambling risk categories. The data in this table indicate that participants with problem gambling mothers are 1.7 times more likely to display moderate risk gambling and 10.6 times more likely to display problem gambling than their peers, χ2 (3) = 35.30, p < .001.

Table 5.10

Cross-tabulation of maternal problem gambling and participant problem gambling risk categories

PGSI risk category

No maternal problem gambling Maternal problem gambling No problem 3599 (92.6%) 59 (86.8%) Low risk 191 (4.9%) 2 (2.9%) Moderate risk 66 (1.7%) 2 (2.9%) Problem 29 (0.7%) 5 (7.4%)

Table 5.11 displays the Pearson’s bivariate correlations between maternal problem gambling, participant problem gambling, and control variables. An examination of this table reveals that there is a weak but significant positive correlation between maternal gambling problems and participant gambling problems and that maternal gambling problems account for 0.4% of the variance in participant gambling problems.

5.2.4.2 Specificity of risk for the maternal transmission of problem gambling behaviour

Table B.18 (Appendix B) provides the results from a hierarchical regression analysis examining the prediction of participant gambling problems by maternal gambling problems after controlling for other factors. The control variables explained 2.6% of the variance in participant gambling problems (p < .001). After taking the influence of all of these other predictors in the model into account, maternal gambling problems still displayed a statistically significant relationship with participant gambling problems and explained an additional 0.2% of the variance in participant gambling problems (p = .007).

Pearson’s correlations between maternal problem gambling, participant problem gambling, and control variables

Variable 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

1. Maternal problem gambling __

2. PGSI scores .07** __ 3. Gender .03* -.10** __ 4. Age -.06** -.05** .04* __ 5. Relationship status .03 .05** -.10** -.07** __ 6. Living alone -.01 .03 -.04* .26** .63** __ 7. Employment status -.04* -.02 .10** .44** .10** .17**. __ 8. Educational qualifications -.02 .01 .01 .16** .07** .09** .14** __

9. Australian born status .03 .03 .02 -.05** .04* -.01 -.04** .02 __

10. ATSI status .02 .00 .00 -.05** -.01 -.03 .00 .01 .06** __

11. Gross personal weekly income -.01 -.05** .07** .08** -.03 .02 .06** .06** -.01 -.03 __

12. Gross household weekly income -.01 -.04* .05** -.05** .08** -.01 .02 .07** .01 -.03 .74** __

13. Paternal drinking problem .08** .04* .04* -.00 -.04** -.04** .01 -.01 .05** .03 -.01 -.04* __

14. Maternal drinking problem .23** .03* .03* -.04** -.01 -.03 -.06** -.01 .01 .06** -.03 .00 .15** __

15. Sibling drinking problem .01 .00 -.01 .05** .02 .06** .02 -.01 .03* .07** .00 .01 .03 .04* __

16. Paternal drug problem .07** .02 .03 -.05** -.04* -.03 -.03 -.01 .01 .11** -.01 .01 .15** .09** .04* __

17. Maternal drug problem .12** .07** .02 -.04** .01 -.03 -.03* -.01 .03 .03 -.01 .00 .10** .24** .06** .17** __

18. Sibling drug problem .09** .01 .01 -.06** -.01 -.00 -.04** -.02 .03* .05** -.00 .01 .13** .04* .24** .08** .07** __

19. Paternal mental health issue .04** .04* .04* -.06** -.01 -.04* -.02 -.02 .02 .01 .02 .01 .16** .02 .01 .08** .02 .03* __

20. Maternal mental health issue .08** -.00 .06** -.07** .01 -.05** -.02 -.04* .01 -.02 -.03 -.03 .07** .15** -.01 -.00 .23** .03 .06** __

21. Sibling mental health issue .00 .01 .01 -.02 .02 .01 -.02 -.03 .04** .00 -.01 .02 .03 .04** .21** .00 -.00 .19** .03 .05**

5.2.4.3 Risk factors for the maternal transmission of problem gambling behaviour The formal testing of mediation for the maternal transmission of problem gambling behaviour requires three conditions to be met: 1) maternal gambling problems must be significantly related to participant gambling problems (path c); 2) maternal gambling problems must be significantly related to the potential mediating risk factor (path a); and 3) the potential mediating risk factor must be significantly related to participant gambling problems (path b). Table 5.12 displays the Pearson’s bivariate correlations between maternal problem gambling, participant problem gambling, and possible risk factors.

Testing Path C: An examination of Table 5.12 reveals that there is a statistically significant relationship between maternal gambling problems and participant gambling problems.

Testing Path A: An examination of Table 5.12 reveals that maternal gambling problems are significantly related to several potential mediating risk factors, including paternal problem drinking, paternal drug problems, sibling drug problems, paternal mental health issues, and maternal mental health issues. The remaining variables displayed no significant association with maternal gambling problems.

Testing Path B: An examination of Table 5.12 also reveals that several potential mediating risk factors are significantly associated with participant gambling problems, including the number of gambling friends, age of first gamble, paternal problem drinking, and paternal mental health issues. The remaining variables displayed no statistically significant relationship with participant gambling problems.

Taken together, these findings imply that only two of the possible risk factors satisfy the three requisite conditions to be formally tested as mediating risk factors for the maternal transmission of gambling problems: paternal problem drinking and paternal mental health issues. A series of hierarchical regression analyses were employed to formally test these factors as mediating risk factors. In these analyses, maternal problem gambling was entered in the first step and the potential risk factor was entered in the second step. A factor was considered to be a risk factor when its addition in the second step significantly increased the proportion of variance accounted for in participant gambling problems and reduced the strength of the association between maternal and participant gambling problems. The Sobel test was employed to determine the significance of any reduction in association.

Paternal problem drinking. Table B.19 (Appendix B) provides the results from a hierarchical regression analysis examining whether paternal problem drinking mediated the relationship between maternal and participant gambling problems. In step 1, maternal gambling problems significantly predicted participant gambling problems (p < .001). The addition of paternal problem drinking in step 2 significantly increased the proportion of variance accounted for in participant gambling problems (p = .04) and reduced the strength of the association between maternal and participant gambling problems. The Sobel test indicated that that this reduction in the strength of the association was significant, z = 2.16, p = .03. Paternal problem drinking therefore served to explain, in part, the relationship between maternal and participant gambling problems.

Table 5.12

Pearson’s correlations between maternal problem gambling, participant problem gambling, and possible risk factors

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1. Maternal problem gambling -

2. PGSI scores .07** -

3. Number of gambling friends .02 .14** -

4. Age of first gamble -.02 -.09** -.26** -

5. Paternal problem drinking .08** .04* .03 -.07** -

6. Sibling problem drinking .01 .00 .03* -.03 .03 -

7. Paternal drug problems .07** .02 .01 .00 .15** .04* -

8. Sibling drug problems .09** .01 .03* -.03 .13** .24** .08** -

9. Paternal mental health issues .04** .04* .02 -.05** .16** .01 .08** .03* -

10. Maternal mental health issues .08** -.00 .02 -.05** .07** -.01 .00 .03* .06** -

11. Sibling mental health issues .00 .01 .01 -.02 .03 .21** .00 .19** .03 .05**

Paternal mental health issues. Table B.20 (Appendix B) provides the results from a hierarchical regression analysis examining whether paternal mental health issues mediated the relationship between maternal and participant gambling problems. In step 1, maternal gambling problems significantly predicted participant gambling problems (p < .001). The addition of paternal mental health issues in step 2 significantly increased the proportion of variance accounted for in participant gambling problems (p = .02) and reduced the strength of the association between maternal and participant gambling problems. The Sobel test indicated that that this reduction in the strength of the association was not significant, z = 1.81, p = .07. 5.2.4.4 Protective factors for the maternal transmission of problem gambling

behaviour

The formal testing of moderation for the maternal transmission of problem gambling behaviour requires a significant interaction between maternal problem gambling and the proposed protective factor to predict participant problem gambling. A series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses were employed to examine the role of the possible protective factors as moderators of the relationship between maternal gambling problems and participant gambling problems. In these analyses, maternal problem gambling and the potential protective factor were entered in the first step. The interaction of maternal problem gambling and the potential protective factor was entered in the second step. A factor was considered to be a protective factor if the interaction in the second step was statistically significant.

Demographic factors. A series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses were employed to examine the role of female gender and being born in Australian as protective factors for the maternal transmission of problem gambling (Table B.21 in Appendix B). There was a significant interaction between maternal problem gambling and gender (p < .001) and Australian born status (p = .005). Using the split file procedure, separate regression analyses and visual analysis of scatterplots revealed that the relationship between maternal and participant problem gambling was stronger for males and participants who were not born in Australia. These findings indicate that being female and being born in Australia serve as protective factors for the maternal transmission of problem gambling.

Family characteristics. A series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses were employed to examine the role of being raised in a two-parent family, being younger when leaving home, having a greater number of siblings, and living in a metropolitan region while growing up as protective factors for the maternal transmission of problem gambling (Table B.22 in Appendix B). Although there was no significant interaction between maternal gambling problems and age left home (p = .11) and living in a metropolitan or rural region (p = .22), there was a significant interaction between maternal problem gambling and the other family characteristics: single-parent or two-parent family (p = .04) and number of siblings (p < .001). Using the split file procedure, separate regression analyses and visual analysis of scatterplots revealed that the relationship between maternal and participant problem gambling was stronger for participants raised in two-parent families. An examination of the regression equation using the interaction viewer revealed that the relationship between maternal and participant gambling problems was stronger when participants reported a smaller number of siblings. These findings indicate that being raised in a one-parent

family and having a greater number of siblings serve as protective factors for the maternal transmission of problem gambling.

Social capital. A series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses were employed to examine social capital (being able to get help from friends, family or neighbours when needed; feeling safe walking down street after dark) while growing up as protective factors for the maternal transmission of problem gambling (Table B.23 in Appendix B). There was no significant interaction between maternal problem gambling and either measure of social capital: able to get help (p = .50) and feeling safe (p = .83). These findings indicate that social capital does not serve as a protective factor for the maternal transmission of problem gambling.