Abstract
The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) has been the most frequently used instrument for prevalence studies for problem gambling in recent years. To date, there have been very few gambling studies among Persian populations. The objective of the present study was to investigate the reliability and validity of the Persian version of the PGSI. The original version of the PGSI was translated and back-translated into Persian, followed by a pilot study. A sample of Iranian online gamblers (n = 858) was recruited utilizing social media platforms. Results showed that the Persian PGSI had excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient = 0.90; composite reliability = 0.91) and moderate test-retest reliability after 4–6 weeks using intraclass coefficient (0.41 with 95% CI [.34, .49]). The maximum likelihood confirmatory factor analysis for one-factor PGSI model fitted well (χ2/df = 2.81, CFI = .974, SRMR = .028, PCLOSE > .05, RMSEA = .057, 90% CI [.037, .077]). As for criterion-related validity, the Persian PGSI score correlated with the score on the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, which assesses depression (r = .54, p < .01) and anxiety (r = .40, p < .01). The Persian PGSI is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the prevalence of problem gambling among Persian populations.
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The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.
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Ethics approval was granted by the research team’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the study was carried out according the Declaration of Helsinki guidelines. The IRB reviewed the research protocol to ensure participant confidentiality, sampling, and obtaining inform consent.
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The authors (apart from MDG) declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. MDG’s university currently receives funding from Norsk Tipping (the gambling operator owned by the Norwegian Government) for gambling-related research. MDG has received funding for a number of research projects in the area of gambling education for young people, social responsibility in gambling and gambling treatment from Gamble Aware (formerly the Responsibility in Gambling Trust), a charitable body which funds its research program based on donations from the gambling industry. MDG also undertakes consultancy for various gaming companies in the area of social responsibility in gambling.
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Griffiths, M.D., Nazari, N. Psychometric Validation of the Persian Version of the Problem Gambling Severity Index. Int J Ment Health Addiction 19, 2411–2422 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-020-00336-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-020-00336-7