Social Ecological Model of Problem Gambling: A Cross-National Survey Study of Young People in the United States, South Korea, Spain, and Finland

Atte Oksanen, Anu Sirola, Iina Savolainen, Aki Koivula, Markus Kaakinen, Ilkka Vuorinen, Izabela Zych and Hye-Jin Paek
Additional contact information
Atte Oksanen: Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, 33014 Tampere, Finland
Anu Sirola: Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyväskylä, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
Iina Savolainen: Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, 33014 Tampere, Finland
Aki Koivula: Department of Social Research, University of Turku, 20500 Turku, Finland
Markus Kaakinen: Institute of Criminology and Legal Policy, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
Ilkka Vuorinen: Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, 33014 Tampere, Finland
Izabela Zych: Department of Psychology, University of Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
Hye-Jin Paek: Department of Advertising and Public Relations, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Korea

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 6, 1-19

Abstract: Problem gambling among young people is an emerging trend globally. The online environment in particular offers various possibilities for gambling engagement. This is the first cross-national survey study using the social ecological model to analyze problem gambling, especially in the online context. The study aimed to analyze how different social ecological spheres explain problem gambling. Participants were young people aged 15–25 in the United States ( n = 1212), South Korea ( n = 1192), Spain ( n = 1212), and Finland ( n = 1200). The South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) instrument measured problem gambling. The regression models analyzed problem gambling with measures of intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, and societal spheres. Spanish participants had the highest SOGS score for problem gambling. In all countries, the variations in problem gambling were best explained by the organizational sphere measures (26%) when compared to the intrapersonal (11%), interpersonal (5%), and societal (3%) spheres. In the full model, the organizational sphere measures had strong associations with problem gambling. These included consumer debt, online gambling community participation, online casino participation, and exposure to online pop-up advertisements. Problem gambling was also associated with conformity to group norms in the interpersonal sphere, and male gender and impulsivity in the intrapersonal sphere. Cross-national results were similar in different countries. Within the final model, gambling community participation had the strongest association with problem gambling (? = 0.23, p < 0.001). The online context plays a major role in problem gambling behavior. The social ecological model is a useful tool for tackling problem gambling and developing preventative measures.

Keywords: pathological gambling; social ecological model; adolescents; emerging adults; Internet; online communities; online casinos; consumer debt; advertising; impulsivity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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