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Gender Differences in Gambling Exposure and At-risk Gambling Behavior

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Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the differences in gambling exposure and onset of gambling problems among male and female gamblers by comparing their demographic and behavioral profiles. This study utilized data from the gambling section of the First Brazilian National Alcohol Survey and Related Behaviors. Interviews were conducted with 3007 participants who were recruited after screening for at-risk gambling behaviors. Individuals who tested positive for at-risk gambling behaviors completed the Gambling Progression Questionnaire comprising items on games of chance, and were evaluated using the DSM-IV pathological gambling criteria. The participants’ “lifetime gambling exposure” was 12.5%, with 4% having experienced gambling problems during their lifetime. Majority of the male at-risk gamblers (78%) reported that they began gambling in their 20 s and took approximately 3 years to start experiencing gambling-related problems. Contrastingly, female at-risk gamblers started gambling in their 30 s and they took about 12 years to start experiencing gambling-related problems. The present results show that men were 2.3 times more at risk of gambling exposure and 3.6 times more likely to experience gambling-related problems. Male at-risk male gamblers seemed to be lonelier and to have a low socioeconomic status, while women seemed to have lower income and social insertion. Considering these significant differences, more studies evaluating gender differences in gambling behavior are necessary.

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Funding

This study was partially funded by the National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD), Grant # 017/2003.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Public Policies on Alcohol and Drugs (INPAD), National Council of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq), São Paulo, Brazil

    Elizabeth Carneiro, Ilana Pinsky, Marcos Zaleski & Ronaldo Laranjeira

  2. Addictions and Other Impulse Control Disorders Unit, Santa Casa da Misericórdia, Rua Santa Luzia 206, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Elizabeth Carneiro

  3. Gambling Outpatient Unit, Institute and Department of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Hermano Tavares

  4. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada

    Marcos Sanches

  5. Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Ilana Pinsky & Ronaldo Laranjeira

  6. University of Texas School of Public Health, Dallas, TX, USA

    Raul Caetano

  7. Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil

    Marcos Zaleski

Authors
  1. Elizabeth Carneiro
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  2. Hermano Tavares
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  3. Marcos Sanches
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  4. Ilana Pinsky
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  5. Raul Caetano
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  6. Marcos Zaleski
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  7. Ronaldo Laranjeira
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elizabeth Carneiro.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

Ethical Approval

The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of São Paulo, located in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.

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Carneiro, E., Tavares, H., Sanches, M. et al. Gender Differences in Gambling Exposure and At-risk Gambling Behavior. J Gambl Stud 36, 445–457 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-019-09884-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-019-09884-7

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