Study ties tribal casinos to reduced obesity in California children

Wednesday, March 5, 2014  

The opening or expansion of a tribal casino reduces obesity in Native American children, according to the results of a new study.

Researchers looked at the health records of 22,863 tribal children ages 7 to 18 between 2001 to 2012. In school districts where a casino opened or expanded during that time, per capita income increased and poverty declined.

As a result, researchers found a lowered probability of tribal children being overweight or suffering from obesity. And there was a decrease in body-mass index (BMI).

"Opening or expanding a casino was associated with increased economic resources and decreased risk of childhood overweight/obesity," lead author Jessica Jones-Smith wrote in the study, which appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study put an economic benefit on the addition of slot machine to an existing casino or a new casino. Every slot machine led to an increase in annual per capita income of $541.

Get the Story:
Jackpot! Casinos linked to reduced risk of childhood obesity (The Los Angeles Times 3/5)

Get the Study:
Association Between Casino Opening or Expansion and Risk of Childhood Overweight and Obesity (JAMA March 5, 2014)