Risk Behaviors among Migrant Adolescents in Italy

Adolescence is a critical period for engaging in health risk behaviors. Migrant adolescents may face unique challenges due to acculturation stress. This study aims to monitor substance use and problem gambling among migrant adolescents living in Italy. Data from the 2017/18 Health Behavior in School-Aged Children survey in Italy were analyzed. The 18,794 participants included 15-year-olds, categorized as native or migrants, with ethnic backgrounds from Western, Eastern European, or non-Western/non-European countries. Girls had higher smoking rates, while boys exhibited higher prevalence of alcohol-related risk behaviors, cannabis use, and gambling. Boys from Eastern European countries displayed a greater risk of drunkenness (OR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.06-2.37), particularly in the first generation, while those from Western countries showed a higher risk of multiple substance use (OR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.05-1.96). Girls from Eastern European and non-Western/non-European countries had a lower risk of alcohol consumption (OR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.29-0.85; OR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.33-0.91, respectively). Finally, boys, especially those from Eastern European and non-Western/non-European countries, had a significantly higher risk of problem gambling (OR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.04-3.22; OR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.29-3.42, respectively). This disparity was more pronounced in the first generation, possibly due to acculturation challenges and socio-economic factors. Risk behaviors in adolescents are influenced by complex interplays of gender, cultural factors, and migration generation. Preventive strategies should consider these factors to effectively address substance use and gambling in this heterogeneous population.

The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Problem Gambling in New Mexico

The study of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) has consistently demonstrated a strong relationship with poor behavioral health outcomes. Further research is needed to understand if a specific ACE, or subcategorizations of ACEs, matter more for behavioral health outcomes. A study of the association between ACEs and problem gambling involving a racially mixed sample (13,217 participants) in New Mexico is presented to illustrate how certain ACEs may have a larger impact on behavioral health outcomes. The researchers examined: 1.) the impact that each individual ACE have on participant's reported problem gambling; 2) which group (abuse or household challenges) had a greater odds ratio and marginal impact on participant's self-reported gambling; and 3) which BRFSS subcategories (emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, IPV, substance abuse, mental illness, parental separation or divorce, and incarcerated household member) had a greater odds ratio and marginal impact on participant's self-reported gambling. The results of this study indicate ACEs had a significant influence on problem gambling, and data suggests that when BRFSS data is examined in groups or subcategories there is a difference in the influence that ACEs have on problem gambling. In particular, we found that odds ratio to be significant when participants reported mental health problems in the home (OR = 1.34, 95% CI [1.02, 1.76], p < 0.04), living with incarcerated household members (OR = 1.75, 95% CI [1.28, 2.41], p < 0.001), how often adults hit each other (OR = 1.29, 95% CI [1.10, 1.52], p < 0.001), and how often anyone at least 5 years older than them forced them to have sex (OR = 1.42, 95% CI [1.10, 1.82], p < 0.01) In relation to types of abuse, There was a significant difference in self-reported problem gambling for individuals who reported sexual abuse (OR = 1.64, 95% CI [1.10, 2.46], p < 0.016), as well as participants reporting living with an incarcerated household member (OR = 2.08, 95% CI [1.34, 3.22], p < 0.001); approaching significant results also included individuals who witnessed their parents act violent towards one another (OR = 1.52, 95% CI [.99, 2.33], p < 0.055), and having parents who were separated or divorced (OR = 0.68, 95% CI [0.46, 1.00], p < 0.053). Finally, there was a significant difference in self-reported problem gambling for individuals who reported abuse (OR = 1.36, 95% CI [1.11, 1.66], p < 0.003), while participants reporting household challenges did not quite reach statistical significance (OR = 1.49, 95% CI [0.99, 1.33], p < 0.062. These findings show us that the way we ask questions about the precedence and outcomes of risky behavior matter and warrant further attention.

Gambling Among Underage Alcohol Users Between 2008 and 2019: A National Cross-Sectional Study Among Finnish Adolescents

PURPOSE

The aim of this study is to examine trends in the relationship between gambling, alcohol use, and drunkenness between genders in Finland from 2008 through 2019.

METHODS

Data were based on six waves (2008-2009, 2010-2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019) of a national cross-sectional School Health Promotion Study. The survey was conducted during a school day among eighth graders (14-15 years old) and ninth graders (15-16 years old) in Finland. The changes in gambling frequency among boys and girls were studied (regular gambling: at least once a week; occasional gambling: 2-3 times a month to less than once a month; no gambling during the previous year), alcohol use (at least once a month), and drunkenness (at least once a month).

RESULTS

The prevalence of adolescent gambling was more than halved between 2008 and 2019. However, the difference between the adolescents with the most favorable outcome (those who were not gambling and used alcohol or were getting drunk less often than once a month) and the adolescents with the least favorable outcome (boys who gambled, used alcohol, or were getting drunk; girls who were gambling regularly and getting drunk or gambling occasionally, using alcohol, and getting drunk) was larger in 2019 than in 2008.

DISCUSSION

These larger differences between adolescents indicate that there has been a polarization of problems between adolescents, and for some individuals, problems are clustering. There is a strong case to be made for protecting adolescents from these risk behaviors and their adverse consequences on multiple levels.

Gambling and gaming during COVID-19: The role of mental health and social motives in gambling and gaming problems

BACKGROUND

The uncertain and stressful global situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to cause anxiety and impact people's mental health. Simultaneously, social distancing policies have isolated people from their normal social interactions. These societal changes have inevitably influenced gambling and gaming practices, and many people may have turned to betting or gaming as a means of social exchange. This study examined the influence of COVID-19 anxiety on increased mental health problems and their relationship to gambling and gaming problems. The mediating role of social motives for gambling and gaming was also investigated.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Finnish adults (N = 1530; Mage = 46.67; 50.33% male) were recruited from a volunteer participant panel to participate in a survey study. COVID-19 anxiety was assessed using a scale adapted from the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Mental health problems were evaluated with the five-item Mental Health Inventory. Gambling problems were measured using the Problem Gambling Severity Index, and gaming problems were measured with the Internet Gaming Disorder Test. Social motives for gaming were evaluated using a single-item measure. Analyses used generalised structural equation modelling.

RESULTS

COVID-19 anxiety predicted increased mental health problems, which were associated with heightened gambling and gaming problems. Social motives for gambling and gaming were a significant mediator, suggesting that gambling and gaming problems are emphasized markedly among those who are socially motivated by and involved in such games.

CONCLUSIONS

Mental health problems experienced during the pandemic and the social properties of games might accentuate gambling and gaming problems.

Life Satisfaction and Online-Gambling Communities: A Cross-National Study of Gambling Activities Among Young Finnish, American, South Korean and Spanish People

Gambling is a potential hazard to life satisfaction, yet peer relationships online might buffer this risk. This study analyzed the ways problem gambling is associated with life satisfaction as well as the extent to which the use of online-gambling community participation and, alternatively, offline belonging affect this association. A web-based survey was conducted among people aged 15–25 in Finland (n = 1,200), the United States (n = 1,212), South Korea (n = 1,192), and Spain (n = 1,212). The main variables included life satisfaction, problem gambling measured by the South Oaks Gambling Screen, online-gambling community participation, and offline belonging. Controls included compulsive internet use, hazardous drinking, psychological distress, income, age, and gender. Linear regression models were employed with country interactions. Results showed problem gambling had a negative relationship with life satisfaction, but the association was explained by control variables. Online-gambling community participation had a positive relationship with life satisfaction, especially among pathological gamblers who had poor offline relationships. Country comparisons revealed that the direct effect of excessive gambling and the compensating effect of online-gambling communities were most prominent in Finland.

Online Relationships and Social Media Interaction in Youth Problem Gambling: A Four-Country Study

The objective of this study was to examine if belonging to online communities and social media identity bubbles predict youth problem gambling. An online survey was administered to 15–25-year-old participants in the United States (N = 1212), South Korea (N = 1192), Spain (N = 1212), and Finland (N = 1200). The survey measured two dimensions of online behavior: perceived sense of belonging to an online community and involvement in social media identity bubbles. Belonging to an online community was examined with a single item and involvement in social media identity bubbles was measured with the six-item Identity Bubble Reinforcement Scale. The South Oaks Gambling Screen was used to assess problem gambling. Statistical analyses utilized linear regression modeling. According to the analyses, strong sense of belonging to an online community was associated with higher problem gambling, but the association was observed mainly among those young individuals who were also involved in social media identity bubbles. For those youths who did not indicate identity bubble involvement, online relationships appeared to function as those offline. Some differences across the four countries were observed but overall, the results indicate that social media identity bubbles could partly explain the harmful influence that some online relations have on youth behavior.

Prevalence and correlates of youth poly-substance use in the COMPASS study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Youth poly-substance use, associated with long-term negative health and social outcomes, is of increasing concern following the rise of e-cigarette vaping and cannabis legalization in Canada. This work aimed to investigate current evidence on correlates of this behaviour to inform effective prevention and harm reduction programming.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional sample taking part in a cohort study.

SETTING

Canadian high schools (AB, BC, ON, QC) PARTICIPANTS: 74,501 Canadian high school students who completed the COMPASS student questionnaire in 2018/2019.

MEASUREMENTS

Self-report data on use of five substances (alcohol, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cannabis, and opioids) alongside demographic factors, social and school support, and mental health-related measures.

RESULTS

Of the 39% of youth who reported current substance use, 53% reported using two or more. E-cigarette vaping was most prevalent (28%) and most often combined with other substances. Feeling supported by friends and having no problem with seeking help at school were associated with higher levels of poly-substance use. Family support, school connectedness, and school support to resist drugs decreased the risk of substance co-use.

CONCLUSIONS

The evidence presented here suggests that interventions for youth poly-substance use should rely on joint efforts between parents, schools, and communities to focus on structural factors rather than problematizing the individual.

Immigrant status and problem-gambling severity in adolescents: Evidence for moderation by sensation seeking

Despite the multidimensional/ecological integrative perspective that suggests that the risk for problem gambling in adolescents can be determined by an interactive effect of different risk factors, few studies have investigated how different individual factors may affect the risk for problem gambling in a multiplicative way. This study aimed at exploring the interaction between immigrant status (IS) and sensation seeking (SS) on adolescent problem-gambling severity. The study involved 994 Italian adolescents (64% boys, M_age = 16.57, SD = 1.62). Participants' IS, SS and problem-gambling severity were individually assessed through, respectively, a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS) and the South Oaks Gambling Screen - Revised for Adolescents (SOGS-RA). Results showed that, among immigrant adolescents, there were higher levels of problem-gambling severity and a higher distribution of at-risk and problem gamblers with respect to non-immigrant adolescents. Both IS and SS had significant direct effects on problem-gambling severity, with IS and higher levels of SS being predictors of greater severity. A moderation analysis - controlling for gender and age - showed that adolescents with high scores of SS were more prone to experience gambling problems if they were also immigrant. These results have important implications for practice as they emphasize that specific interventions aimed at preventing problem gambling would be required for adolescents from immigrant families. In particular, it would be important to consider the role of SS in this specific youth target.

Gambling Behaviors and Problem Gambling: A Population-Based Comparison of Transgender/Gender Diverse and Cisgender Adolescents

Most gambling research utilizes general youth samples and focuses on binary gender categories; few studies examine and compare gambling behaviors between transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth and their cisgender peers. The current study used population-based data from the 2016 Minnesota Student Survey to compare the prevalence of gambling behaviors and problem gambling among TGD versus cisgender adolescents, in addition to examining differences by birth-assigned sex. The analytic sample consisted of 80,929 students (including, n = 2168 [2.7%] TGD) in 9th and 11th grades. Chi-square tests and Cohen's d effect sizes were used for all comparisons. TGD youth reported greater involvement in most gambling behaviors and problem gambling compared to cisgender youth. In comparisons by birth-assigned sex, TGD youth assigned male at birth were particularly at risk for gambling involvement and problem gambling. TGD youth assigned female at birth also reported higher rates of problem gambling than both cisgender youth assigned male and female at birth. Results suggest that examining rates of gambling behavior and problem gambling as well as identifying disparities in vulnerable youth populations is crucial in order to develop culturally responsive and gender inclusive prevention, intervention, and outreach programs.

Peer Group Identification as Determinant of Youth Behavior and the Role of Perceived Social Support in Problem Gambling

Gambling opportunities have increased rapidly during recent years. Previous research shows that gambling is a popular activity among youth, which may contribute to problem gambling. This study examined how social identification with online and offline peer groups associates with youth problem gambling behavior and if perceived social support buffers this relationship. Data were gathered with an online survey with 1212 American and 1200 Finnish participants between 15 and 25 years of age. Measures included the South Oaks Gambling Screen for problem gambling, and items for peer group identification and perceived social support. It was found that youth who identify strongly with offline peer groups were less likely to engage in problem gambling, while strong identification with online peer groups had the opposite effect. We also found that the associations between social identification and problem gambling behavior were moderated by perceived social support. Online peer groups may be a determinant in youth problem gambling. Focusing on offline peer groups and increasing social support can hold significant potential in youth gambling prevention.

What are we missing? The profile of non-respondents in the Finnish Gambling 2015 survey

Aims: Population-based gambling surveys provide important information about gambling frequency, problems, attitude and opinions of the general population. This information can be used by social and health care professionals, service providers and policy makers. However, low response rates may cause biased findings. The aim was to define the profile of non-respondents in the Finnish Gambling 2015 survey. Methods: The survey sample (N = 7400) was obtained from the national Population Information System and the survey was conducted using computer-assisted telephone interviews (response rate 62%). The study sample including individuals aged 18-74 was linked to administrative registers to obtain socio-demographic information (sex, age, marital status, education, socio-economic status, net income, residential area) about the respondents and the non-respondents. Register-based information was used to build a non-respondent profile for the survey. Results: The non-response was more prevalent among women, 18- to 24-year-olds, non-married, individuals with primary education, unemployed (vs. self-employed and students) and residents in urban areas. When net income was added to the model, the associations of women and unemployed (vs. self-employed) with non-response became non-significant, while the non-response was more prevalent among the lowest quintile of net income. Conclusions: Socio-economic position was associated with lower response rate which may cause bias while studying gambling behaviour of socio-economically vulnerable individuals. Obtaining additional auxiliary information through record linkage to administrative registers and use of more sophisticated methods for controlling bias caused by non-response, such as multiple imputation, would offer information about the impact of non-response to the results related to gambling and gambling problems.

Gambling involvement, type of gambling and grade point average among 18-29-year-old Finnish men and women

AIMS

This study explores the associations between gambling involvement, type of gambling, at-risk and problem gambling (ARPG) and register-based grade point average (GPA), among Finnish people aged 18-29 years (N = 676). It is assumed that high gambling involvement and engaging in certain types of gambling are linked to ARPG, and that low school achievement is positively associated with these measures.

METHODS

A nationwide cross-sectional random sample was collected in 2015. The data were weighted based on gender, age and region. Analyses were carried out using logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Frequent gambling, playing several game types, online gambling and ARPG were more common among men than women. Those with low GPA played fast and low-paced daily lottery games and used online casinos significantly more often than men and women with average/high GPA. Men with a low GPA were also more likely to gamble on a weekly basis and played casino games and online poker more often. For women with a low GPA online gambling and playing slot machines were more common than for women with an average/high GPA. When controlling for sociodemographic variables and gambling involvement, men's participation in daily lottery games and online poker was significantly associated with a low GPA, but among women none of the game types remained statistically significant. Among women, playing several different game types was linked with a low GPA.

CONCLUSIONS

It seems that poorer school achievement is associated not only with frequent gambling, a large number of game types played and online gambling, but also, to some extent at least, with game type preferences.

Compulsory school achievement and gambling among men and women aged 18-29 in Finland

AIMS

This study aims to explore the associations between final compulsory school grades and gambling and their relation to substance use and perceived mental health among people aged 18-29 in Finland (N = 831).

METHODS

Cross-sectional random sample data, weighted on the basis of age, gender and region of residence, were collected in 2015. The data were analysed using logistic regression models adjusted for sociodemographic variables, risky alcohol use, daily smoking, and perceived mental health.

RESULTS

Weekly gambling and at-risk and problem gambling (ARPG) were more common among men. Weekly gambling was linked to smoking and risky alcohol use among men and smoking among women. Additionally, ARPG was linked to risky alcohol use among men. ARPG was associated with moderate/poor mental health among men and women, but this was not the case with weekly gambling. Among men, low and average final school grades at age 16 were associated with weekly gambling later in life, even when adjusting for other variables. Among women, low and average final school grades were not associated with weekly gambling when adjusting for substance use. Lower final school grades were associated with ARPG among women but not among men when all potential confounders were adjusted for.

CONCLUSIONS

Adolescents with lower final school grades are more likely to gamble weekly later in life. Lower final school grades are also linked with ARPG among women. It is important therefore for schools to have clear policies on gambling and to implement early prevention programmes.