The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #39110

David A. Korn¹, Harvey Skinner, PhD², Martha Murray², and Charlotte Lombardo². (1) Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, 12 Queen's Park Crescent West, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada, (416) 978-8498, david.korn@utoronto.ca, (2) Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, McMurrich Building, 12 Queen's Park Crescent West, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada

Expansion and marketing of legalized forms of gambling is a trend that is expected to continue. At the same time, the increased availability of gambling, especially electronic gaming, will likely result in an overall increase in the prevalence of gambling problems. Of concern to policy makers and health professionals alike is the potential impact of gambling on youth's lives. While technology has made gambling more available, it also offers compelling possibilities for addressing gambling problems. The Internet provides innovative ways of engaging youth, allowing opportunities to assess and address their needs, and offer each other support.

Since 1995, the TeenNet project (www.teennetproject.org) at the University of Toronto has focused its research on using technology for health promotion with youth. In 2000, multi-year funding was provided to investigate the potential for technology to address youth gambling. TeenNet's youth and gambling project centers on the development of a multimedia website, with interactive technology components, to address youth gambling problems utilizing health promotion, prevention and harm reduction strategies. TeenNet's unique feature is its ability to engage youth in all phases of the project through an action research model.

Phases of the project have included: youth focus groups, a youth roundtable, the formation of a youth website working group, and development of the website. This presentation will focus on the components of the website and its public health tool kit of interventions, as well as the research strategies developed to evaluate use of the website and effectiveness of the interventions.

Learning Objectives: By the end of the presentation, learners will be able to

• Understand a public health context for addressing youth gambling;
• Describe the development of a website to address youth gambling through public health interventions using an action research model; and
• Describe the research strateges to evaluate the use of the site and the effectiveness of the public health interventions.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.