Validation of the French version of Online Gambling Disorder Questionnaire

Pathological online gambling is a major public health issue, particularly among adolescents and young adults. This study aims to validate the French version of the Online Gambling Disorder Questionnaire (OGD-Q), a tool based on the DSM-5 and ICD-11 criteria, adapted to the specific characteristics of the French-speaking population.

Two hundred and fifty-six French-speaking participants (aged 14 to 53) were recruited online via communities dedicated to "gacha" games. The French version of the OGD-Q (11 items) was obtained through a rigorous translation process involving parallel translation and back-translation. Descriptive analyses were performed, as well as confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to verify the scale's unidimensional structure, and convergent validity analyses were conducted with other tools (IGD-20 for problematic video game use, GAMS for motivation and PANAS for emotions).

The tool revealed an excellent internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha (0.856) and McDonald's omega (0.884) coefficients. The CFA confirmed the unidimensional structure of the scale. The fit indices were acceptable (CFI=0.927; TLI=0.908; SRMR=0.0438), although the RMSEA (0.087) was slightly above the ideal threshold. In addition, significant positive correlations were observed with the IGD-20 (r=0.383, P < 0.001) and with negative emotions during play (r=0.319, P < 0.001).

The study demonstrates that the French version of the OGD-Q has good psychometric properties, making it reliable and valid for assessing online gambling disorder in French-speaking populations. This tool fills an important gap for French-speaking clinicians and researchers enabling them to better detect and study problematic gambling behaviors related to online games, including "gacha" mechanics. This validation also promotes the international comparability of research on behavioral addictions.