Gambling behavior and violent game engagement and their association with Cannabis substance abuse among in-school adolescents

Abstract

There are public health issues related to gambling, violent video game participation, and substance abuse among adolescents in Nigeria. The current state of knowledge regarding the prevalence and association of these high rising maladaptive behaviors among adolescents in Nigeria is insufficient, as results from recent studies (e.g. Ede et al., 2021) have demonstrated. Therefore, it is imperative to investigate the incidence of gambling behavior and violent games engagement among adolescents in Nigeria and their association with Cannabis substance abuse. The study involved a cross-sectional analysis of survey data from 1300 in-school adolescents in Enugu state, Nigeria. Participants completed the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), Game Engagement Questionnaire (GEQ), and Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test-Revised (CUDIT-R). The results revealed that gambling behavior and violent games engagement are common among the in-school adolescents. Additionally, the hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed a positive and significant relationship between gambling behavior and violent game engagement and cannabis use. In summary, the research suggests that a substantial amount of in-school adolescents engage in gambling and violent games, and it could be linked to cannabis abuse.