Abstract
Abstract Background Sports betting has been one of the gambling games which are strongly associated with problem gambling. The aim of our study was to examine the association of social (socio-demographic and socio-economic) and lifestyle characteristics of sports bettors in Serbia. Methods The cross-sectional study was the secondary analysis of the data from the National Survey on lifestyles in Serbia: substance abuse and gambling, conducted during 2014. The questionnaire consisted of 158 items. The first part was on socio-demographic characteristics. The second was on lifestyle characteristics with Beverage Specific Quantity Frequency - BSQF Instrument developed during Standardized measurement of Alcohol-related troubles-SMART project, Kessler psychological distress scale, Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), use of illicit drugs, and prescription/ non-medical prescription drug use. The sports betting was assessed with yes/ no question: 'Have you played sports betting in the past 30 days?' Results The 10% of participants reported sports betting in the past 30 days. The sports betting was associated with being male (OR:11.22, 95% CI: 7.62-16.53), aged 18-44 (OR: 2.33, 95% CI: 1.78-3.07), living in urban areas (OR: 1.79, 95%CI: 1.41-2.28), being single (OR: 1.35, 95 % CI: 1.06-1.72), having secondary education (OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.09-1.98), being unemployed (OR: 2.71, 95% CI:1.35-5.45), employed (OR: 3.00, 95 % CI: 1.53-5.90), or student (OR: 3.86, 95% CI: 1.83-8.17), binge-drinking (OR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.39-2.71), non-medical prescription drug use (OR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.22-2.59) and low/ moderate (OR: 12.82, 95% CI: 8.50-19.33), and problem gambling (OR: 43.38, 95% CI: 11.75-160.11). Conclusions The association of sports betting with risk behaviors among young males should be a concern for public health authorities. Key messages The prevalence of the past 30 days betting in Serbia is 10%. Sports betting is associated with risk behaviors.
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