The Association of Substance Use and Antisocial Behaviours with the Probability of Gambling among Adolescents

Gambling behaviour among adolescents is a serious public health concern. Adolescents' involvement in gambling is often related with substance use and antisocial behaviours. This study aims to examine the association of substance use and antisocial behaviours with gambling among Italian early adolescents.

The analytical sample of the present study included 1,822 students attending 29 secondary schools in nine NHS districts of Piedmont region and the city of Rome who participated in the baseline survey of the experimental controlled trial "GAPUnplugged." The association of lifetime cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, drunkenness, illicit drug use, violence, and stealing with the probability of any gambling and regular gambling was estimated through multilevel mixed-effect regression models.

The prevalence of any gambling and regular gambling in the last 30 days was 36.4% and 12.7%, respectively. After adjustment for potential confounders, cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, drunkenness, violence, and stealing were significantly associated with an increased probability of both gambling outcomes. The link of gambling outcomes with alcohol drinking and drunkenness was higher for females, whereas the association with violence and stealing was higher for males.

Due to the association of gambling with other problem behaviours during early adolescence, school-based health promotion and prevention interventions should address multiple risk behaviours simultaneously. Prevention of one risk behaviour may contribute to the prevention of other risk behaviours.