Gambling Patterns and Problem Gambling Among Youth in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Youth in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) show increasing engagement in gambling activities.
• Unchecked gambling can lead to severe consequences, including financial distress, crime, and mental health issues.
• There is a critical need for research into the psychosocial factors driving problem gambling in this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review gambling patterns, attitudes, and behaviors among youth in SSA.
• To identify gaps in the existing research literature.
• To inform the development of public health interventions and social policies.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across 8 databases (PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, etc.) up to July 2019.
• Screening of 1624 articles, with 13 studies meeting inclusion criteria.
• Quality assessment of included cross-sectional studies using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

Main Results:

• The evidence base on gambling-related harm among youth in SSA is currently weak.
• Included studies exhibited significant heterogeneity in methodologies, preventing meta-analysis.
• A need for high-quality research on gambling behaviors and prevalence in SSA youth was identified.

Conclusions:

• Further robust research is essential to understand gambling prevalence and harm among SSA youth.
• The findings underscore the necessity of implementing social policies and public health interventions to address gambling addiction.
• Addressing youth gambling requires a multi-faceted approach combining research, policy, and intervention.