The Adolescent Problem Gambling Prevalence Associated with Leisure-Time Activities and Risky Behaviors in Southern Spain

Abstract

Gambling addiction is increasing and is becoming a public health concern due to the rise of gambling-related harms affecting the youth. Previous studies suggest a strong link between problem gambling (PG) and substance use and psychosocial and familial factors. Our main objective was to analyze the association between PG and factors like sport, leisure-time activities, and risk-taking behaviors in adolescents. A survey on substance use and addictive behaviors was performed in 2019 on a representative sample of 2240 subjects (14–18 years) from the Southern Spain Region. Data variables like socio-demographic characteristics, sport, leisure and free time activities, family environment, PG (Lie-Bet Scale), compulsive internet use (CIUS Scale), and consumption of alcohol and cannabis were collected using a standardized questionnaire. Weighted PG prevalence was estimated in either sex, as well as the differences between various levels of PG using chi-square tests. Crude and adjusted weighted logistic regression models were used to identify predictors associated with PG. The prevalence of PG was associated with shopping frequency, compulsive internet use, cannabis use in the previous month, higher family economic status, and having a homemaker father which increased the likelihood of PG. On the contrary, cultural hobbies such as playing an instrument, painting, singing, and writing, and having a working mother were inversely associated with PG. Our results suggest that encouraging participation in creative activities along with supervised shopping and monitoring compulsive internet use and cannabis consumption may contribute some protection against adolescent PG.