Emergency department visits for gambling disorders after the legalization of single-event sports betting and rapid expansion of online gambling
Forrest R, Doan N, MacDonald-Spracklin R, Pugliese M, Turner N, Myran D. Am J Prev Med. 2026; Sep 16.
Purpose — To calculate hospitalization rates of gastroenteritis among children in Ontario and to determine the association of hospitalization of gastroenteritis with sociodemographic indicators and the availability of hospital beds.
Methods — Ontario admission rates were calculated from hospital discharge data for fiscal year 1991/92. Small area variations, correlations between sociodemographic indicators and admission rates were studied.
Results — The age- and sex-adjusted admission rate in 1991/92 was 411.1/100,000 with a 14-fold variation in Ontario. The availability of paediatric beds was the only significant factor associated with high admission rates, with an estimated relative risk of 6.75 (95% confidence interval: 1.26, 36.09, p < 0.027).
Conclusion — Since most children with gastroenteritis can be successfully managed as outpatients, high admission rates may be an indication of unnecessary hospitalization.
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Citation
To T, Feldman W, Young W, Maloney SL. Can J Public Health. 1996; 87(1):62-5.