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Adolescent gambling in greater Athens area: a cross-sectional study

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Abstract

Purpose

Problem gambling in adolescents has recently emerged as a pressing public health concern. In this context and in light of the pervasive financial crisis in Greece, the present study aimed to explore adolescents’ gambling involvement in Athens region to estimate the prevalence of its problematic form and to identify its risk/protective factors.

Methods

A total of 2141 students were recruited from a representative sample of 51 schools located in greater Athens area. The presence of problem gambling was assessed through the use of the DSM-IV-MR-J questionnaire. Data were collected in the form of a self-reported questionnaire during one school hour.

Results

Results indicate that 1-year prevalence of high severity problem gambling was found to be 5.6%. Regarding the risk factors for problem gambling; male gender, parental engagement with gambling activities, living without the parents, low grades at school, foreign nationality and the referent absence of availability of food in the household, increased the risk of suffering from the disorder.

Conclusion

Gambling behavior among adolescents constitutes a problem in Greece and highlights the need for designing and implementing appropriate preventive interventions, especially amid the ongoing financial crisis.

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Acknowledgements

Funding organization: Greek Organization of Football Prognostics SA (OPAP SA).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child Psychiatry, General Pediatric Hospital of Athens “Aghia Sophia”, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Thivon and Papadiamantopoulou St, Athens, 115 27, Greece

    Dimitris C. Anagnostopoulos & Mina P. Paleologou

  2. Child and Adolescent Unit, 1st Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, Community Mental Health Centre Byron Kesariani, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Dilou St 14, Athens, 162 31, Greece

    Helen Lazaratou

  3. First Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Vassilis Sofias St 72-74, Athens, Greece

    Lily E. Peppou, Marina Economou, Melpomeni Malliori, George N. Papadimitriou & Charalampos Papageorgiou

Authors
  1. Dimitris C. Anagnostopoulos
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  2. Helen Lazaratou
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  3. Mina P. Paleologou
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  4. Lily E. Peppou
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  5. Marina Economou
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  6. Melpomeni Malliori
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  7. George N. Papadimitriou
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  8. Charalampos Papageorgiou
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mina P. Paleologou.

Ethics declarations

Ethical standards

To enter the classroom, the pertinent permission was attained by the Ministry of Education. Informed consent was obtained from both parents and student prior to participation in the study.

Conflict of interest

Research Funding Support: OPAP S.A.

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Anagnostopoulos, D.C., Lazaratou, H., Paleologou, M.P. et al. Adolescent gambling in greater Athens area: a cross-sectional study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 52, 1345–1351 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-017-1431-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-017-1431-8

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