Adolescent Problem Gambling: Legislative and Policy Decisions

Problem Gambling Among Adolescents in Uganda: A Cross-sectional Survey Study

In recent years, gambling has evolved and grown substantially with new gambling activities and facilities being introduced, making gambling products and opportunities more available than ever before in Uganda. While the growth of gambling industry is considered to have a beneficial impact on the economy, it is increasingly becoming a social and public health issue especially among a minority of young people who experience problem gambling, which can damage personal, family, vocational, and academic pursuits. The present study estimated the prevalence of problem gambling and identified the socio-demographic, school, environmental and health risks of problem gambling among secondary school students in Mbarara Municipality, Uganda. A cross-sectional study was conducted among secondary school students in Mbarara Municipality. A total of 921 students from 12 schools were recruited using cluster sampling. An ordinal logistic regression model was used to explore the relationship between problem gambling and the socio-demographic, academic, environmental and health variables. Of 905 participants, 362 reported having ever gambled (40%), and 160 were classified as problem gamblers (17.7%; 44.2% among those who had ever gambled). Problem gambling was significantly associated with being male, being non-religious, other religion (African traditional religion), having employment (outside of school), distance to nearest gambling venue, parental gambling, peer gambling, substance use, risky sexual behavior, and psychological distress. The present study found a very high prevalence of problem gambling among Ugandan secondary school students. Therefore, there is need to institute public health measures towards raising awareness, prevention and treatment of problem gambling among Ugandan adolescents.

Equipping School Psychologists to Address Another Risky Behavior

School psychologists are assuming an increasingly important role in ensuring youth have the mental and emotional health to succeed academically. Although considerable attention has been paid to a number of adolescent high-risk behaviors including drug and alcohol use, cigarette smoking, and sexually transmitted diseases, little attention has been paid to youth gambling behaviors. Youth problem gambling has been largely overlooked as a mental and public health issue although it can result in serious mental heath consequences and impede students’ academic success. The current state of knowledge regarding adolescent gambling is presented. Prevention and intervention initiatives that are accessible to school psychologists are outlined, and the challenges to school psychologists in implementing youth problem gambling prevention programs are discussed.

Personal, Social and Environmental Risk Factors of Problematic Gambling Among High School Adolescents in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Understanding risk factors of problematic gambling is prerequisite to effective intervention design to alleviate the negative consequences of gambling. This study explored the personal, social and environmental risk factors of problematic gambling in four high schools in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, among students (N = 422) ranging from 12 to 21 years of age. Results from the cross-sectional survey showed that personal feelings (e.g., self-esteem, false perceptions about winning, drug abuse), social factors (e.g., peer influence, parental gambling), and environmental factors (e.g., accessibility of gambling venues, advertisements) were significant correlates of problematic gambling. The study also revealed that men were more at risk for severe problematic gambling than females. Among the identified types of gambling activities, the most prevalent ones were playing cards followed by flipping coin and pool gambling while internet gambling was among the least reported gambling activities. By identifying personal, social and environmental correlates of risky gambling activities this study provides evidence-based information for the systematic design and evaluation of educational interventions to prevent problematic gambling in young people.