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| Hotel Management Professor Bo Bernhard Leads Multi-University Study on Addiction-Related Behaviors |
| Posted: Monday, July 16, 2007 |
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Media Contact: Karen Sharp (702) 895-5327
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UNLV TO LEAD MULTI-UNIVERSITY STUDY ON ADDICTION-RELATED BEHAVIORS
Two-year project will examine problem gambling and other concerns among different ethnic groups living in both rural and urban settings
LAS VEGAS—July 15, 2007—Addiction-related health behaviors among racial and ethnic populations is the focus of a new multi-university research project, headed by UNLV professor Bo Bernhard, Ph.D. Researchers from Harvard Medical School’s Division of Addictions, the Cambridge Health Alliance, and the University of Michigan will collaborate on the two-year study focusing on individuals of varying ethnic backgrounds in rural and urban environments.
“We know that multiracial individuals are in greater danger of developing a number of high-risk health issues like underage drinking and depression,” said Bernhard. “We’re working to figure out why disparities exist between rural and urban populations in the Southwest region.”
Research related to multiracial heritage indicates that multiracial individuals are more likely to develop mental health problems. To date, no research has explored whether these risky behaviors extend to those associated with pathological gambling. The existing research tends to limit analyses to multiracial combinations that involve White, Black, and Asian heritages. This research focuses on other racial heritages including Native American and Latino communities.
To launch the study, Bernhard received nearly $50,000 in funding through the President’s Research Award, a relatively new UNLV initiative that supports research teams pursuing competitive grant funding. Bernhard hopes the first phase of the joint study will attract additional funding from the National Institute of Mental health, which will enable his team to examine factors influencing addiction in greater detail.
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UNLV is a doctoral-degree-granting institution of 28,000 students and 3,300 faculty and staff. Founded in 1957, the university offers more than 220 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degree programs. UNLV is located on a 350-acre campus in dynamic Southern Nevada and is classified in the category of Research Universities (high research activity) by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
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