ABSTRACT
Background: Gambling is an ancient practice that has been as long as humankind. There are different patterns of gambling which could be chance-based or skill-based gambling. Sports betting is the most common form of gambling which involves betting on any kind of sport. Gambling addiction is a worldwide pandemic. Factors that predispose one to being a problem gambler can be biological, behavioral, socioeconomic factors and level of education. The consequences of gambling addiction can be physical, psychological, social, and economic consequences. This study assessed the knowledge, attitude, pattern and prevalence of gambling addiction among medical students in University of Benin. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was carried out among University of Benin medical students from December 2022 to December 2023. A stratified sampling technique was used to select 639 respondents for the study. Data was collected from respondents using a self– administered questionnaire using online Google Form containing both open ended and close ended questions. Data was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 25. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Ethical approval was obtained from Ethics and Research Committee, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH). Results: More than half of the respondents (57%) had poor knowledge of gambling addiction. Respondents aged above 24 years 67 (28.3%) had the highest proportion of those with good knowledge of gambling addiction. The relationship between age of the respondents and poor knowledge of gambling addiction was statistically significant (p< 0.001). Attitude towards gambling was found to be supportive in 162 (25.4%) respondents while 477 (74.6%) had a nonsupportive attitude. Being male (OR = 0.215, 95% CI: 0.128 – 0.361, p< 0.001) and being in the clinical class (OR = 2.612, 95% CI: 1.657 – 4.117, p< 0.001) were significant determinants of attitude towards gambling addiction. More than a third of the respondents (36.8%) reported to have xvii ever gambled. The commonest pattern of gambling was sports betting. Thirty-six (15.3%) respondents were found to be problem gamblers and the most significant determinants of problem gambling were male sex (OR = 0.219, 95% CI: 0.125 – 1.383, p<0.001), having family members that gamble (OR= 5.966 95% CI: 3.785 – 9.400, p<0.001) and having friends that gamble(OR= 10.805, 95% CI: 5.961 – 20.593, p< 0.001). The common socio-economic effects of gambling reported by the respondents were financial difficulties with loss of money 59 (25.1%), anxiety, feelings of hopelessness among 36(15.3%), and depression among 30 (12.8%) of gamblers. Conclusion: The study showed that all of the respondents were aware of gambling addiction nevertheless majority of them had an overall poor knowledge about gambling addiction. About one – third of them had gambled with about half of them being moderate to high risk problem gamblers with evidence of financial, health, social and academic difficulties. The state government should increase awareness campaigns on the risk factors of gambling through workshops, seminars, and online platforms. Screening and interventional programs should also be implemented to identify students at risk of problem gambling and provide timely interventions, such as counseling or support groups, to help those in need. Keywords: Gambling addiction, Problem gambling, Prevalence, Pattern, Risk factors, Consequences.
