Oludolapo Oladeji, Mosunmola F Tunde-Ayinmode, Amudalat T Kuranga, Adebusola J Ogunmodede, Dauda Sulyman
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Studies have revealed a global surge in gambling and gambling disorders, particularly among young adults, including university students. This disturbing trend poses significant risks not only to individual's mental well-being but also to the wider community.
Aim: The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence of gambling, gambling disorder and the associated socio-demographic factors among undergraduate students of University of Ilorin.
Setting: The study was conducted at the University of Ilorin, a federal government owned tertiary educational institution located in Kwara State, North-Central Nigeria.
Methods: A pro forma questionnaire was used to obtain socio-demographic information about the students. Respondents who had gambled in their lifetime proceeded to complete the self-administered South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS). Score of at least 1 out of 20 on the SOGS indicated gambling disorder, having met the criteria for either problem gambling (score 1-4) or pathological gambling (score ≥ 5).
Results: Responses of 2044 of the respondents were analysed. Their mean age was 21.74 ± 2.64 years, and male respondents accounted for 54.5%. A total of 409 (20%) of respondents had ever gambled in their lifetime, with sports betting been the most gambled activity. About 14.9% of the respondents had gambling disorders (10.5% problem gambling; 4.4% pathological gambling). Male gender, positive family history of mental illness, a lack of adequate financial support and staying off-campus were significantly associated with presence of gambling disorders. Logistic regression revealed that only positive family history of mental illness was predictive of gambling disorder (OR = 6.987, 95% CI [2.119-23.038], p = 0.001).
Conclusion: This study revealed that three-quarters of respondents with a lifetime history of gambling developed gambling disorder.
Contribution: This implies that a significant proportion of individuals who initially engage in social gambling may have a propensity to develop gambling disorder overtime.
期刊介绍：
The journal is the leading psychiatric journal of Africa. It provides open-access scholarly reading for psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and all with an interest in mental health. It carries empirical and conceptual research articles, reviews, editorials, and scientific letters related to psychiatry. It publishes work from various places in the world, and makes special provision for the interests of Africa. It seeks to serve its readership and researchers with the most topical content in psychiatry for clinical practice and academic pursuits, including work in the subspecialty areas of psychiatry.
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