Caracterización del juego de azar en Galicia: un problema de Salud Pública

Abstract

Due to the increase in gambling, gambling disorders have become a major social problem of importance for public health, affecting both adults and adolescents. The main objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of the Galician population who spent money on gambling in the last year and the prevalence of people with, or at risk of, gambling disorder. Data was obtained from a cross-sectional survey carried out in 2017 by the Galician Information System on Risk Behaviors (SICRI). The SICRI conducts annual telephone surveys of Galician residents who were at least 16 years of age, with the sample equidistributed over a 12-month period. A total of 7,841 participants were selected using stratified random sampling. In order to estimate the prevalence of gambling disorder or at-risk gambling, The South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) questionnaire by Lesieur and Blume was applied. The prevalence of gambling and having or being at risk of gambling disorder was estimated and regression models were adjusted to identify variables associated with gambling disorder or being at risk.Of the Galician population aged 16 years and older, 58.1% (95% CI: 57.0-59.2) spent money on gambling in the 12 months previous to this study, with the highest prevalence of gambling found in men (64.6% vs. 52.2%) in all age groups. The prevalence of gambling disorder or at-risk gambling at the population level is 1.6% (95% CI 1.3-1.9), and is higher among men and younger gamblers. The prevalence obtained signals to gambling as a major public health concern, with young males being at greater risk of developing a gambling problem.

Systematic Review: Preventive Intervention to Curb the Youth Online Gambling Problem

“…It is important to note that the prevention of gambling addiction is carried out within the framework of the prevention of drugs, be they psychoactive substances (alcohol, tobacco, inhalants or modern psychoactive substances, or "smart drugs") or gambling itself, and should, therefore, be approached from a holistic point of view, i.e., sharing the same common objective: to help people in general to avoid or delay the use of these activities and, if they have started to use them, to work with them to prevent further addiction [22]. In this regard, the UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) points out that the drastic changes that occur in the adolescent brain make them particularly vulnerable to gambling [23].…”