A survey of pharmacy students' experiences with gambling

Prevalence and Possible Predictors of Gambling Disorder in a Sample of Students in the Healthcare Professions

The Italian version of the South Oaks Gambling Screen questionnaire (SOGS) and a socio-demographic questionnaire were administered to a sample of 275 healthcare professions students aged 19 to 58 years (mean age = 22.17; females = 81.1%) to address the research objectives: to examine the prevalence and correlates of problem gambling in a population of university healthcare professions students in Italy. Among the sample, 8.7% (n = 24) of participants showed problem gambling and 1.5% (n = 4) pathologic gambling. Lottery and scratch cards were the most frequent type of gambling in the sample, followed by cards and bingo. Compared to females, males tend to be more involved in problem gambling and pathological gambling. Males tend to be more involved than females in different types of gambling (such as cards, sports bets, gambling at the casino). Pathological gambling is positively associated with gender, being students lagging behind the regular schedule of exams and parents' level of education. These findings have important implications in terms of prevention and intervention on gambling and pathological gambling. Universities should make available educational programs and counselling services to address this issue.

What do Residents Consider to be Gambling and What are Their Attitudes Towards it? Evidence from the Czech Republic

The aim of the article is to contribute to an understanding of the attitudes of post-communist Europe's inhabitants towards gambling, and of their opinions concerning which activities can be regarded as gambling. The Attitudes Towards Gambling Scale (ATGS-8) questionnaire was used in the survey, ensuring the international comparability of the results. For the subsequent in-depth analysis of attitudes we mainly used multidimensional statistical methods. The survey, conducted in 2017, had 1092 respondents. The least negative attitudes to gambling were found in the younger age groups, while the attitudes of senior citizens were the most negative. Concerning participation in gambling, 68.4% of the respondents had taken part in at least one of the range of gambling activities offered as choices. Participation in gambling is an important factor influencing the overall attitude of the respondents to gambling. Of equal importance was the range of intensity in their perceptions of which games can be considered to be gambling, with four similarly perceived types of gambling identified. The research shows that gambling is perceived negatively by the population of the Czech Republic. The explanation may be found in the substantial media coverage of gambling related to changes in the legislation and the tightening of restrictions.

A Meta-analytical Synthesis and Examination of Pathological and Problem Gambling Rates and Associated Moderators Among College Students, 1987-2016

The problem of gambling addiction is especially noteworthy among college students, many of whom have the resources, proximity, free time, and desire to become involved in the myriad options of gambling now available. Although limited attention has been paid specifically to college student gambling in the body of literature, there have been three published meta-analyses estimating the prevalence of probable pathological gambling among college students. The research presented is the largest and most comprehensive, presenting an up-to-date proportion of those students worldwide exhibiting gambling pathology as assessed by the South Oaks Gambling Screen, and is the first to include estimates of sub-clinical problem gambling. A thorough literature review and coding procedure resulted in 124 independent data estimates retrieved from 72 studies conducted between 1987 and the present, surveying 41,989 university students worldwide. The estimated proportion of probable pathological gamblers among students was computed at 6.13%, while the rate of problem gambling was computed at 10.23%. Statistical significance was found in the influence of the percentage of non-white students on pathological gambling rates. The implications of this and other moderator analyses such as age and year of studies, as well as recommendations for future practice in dealing with college students and gambling disorder on campus are outlined and described in detail. Suggestions and rationales for future avenues of research in the area are also described.