El juego de apuestas en los adolescentesun estudio de sus determinantes psicosociales y contextuales

Abstract

The present doctoral thesis aimed to identify the psychosocial and contextual determinants of gambling behavior in adolescents. To this end, the first study analyzed the usefulness of parental and peer social norms in predicting the onset of gambling behavior. Next, the second study evaluated the relationship between gambling advertising and gambling behavior. The third study prospectively investigated the relationship between gambling perceived accessibility and gambling frequency and problem gambling. Finally, the fourth study tested the utility of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as an explanatory model of gambling intention in adolescent gamblers and non-gamblers, and of the gambling frequency in gamblers. To address these four objectives, a survey-based longitudinal study was conducted, including two assessment moment: an initial assessment and a follow-up assessment one year later. To analyze the factors predicting gambling onset, the sample for the first study consisted of 440 adolescents who reported not having gambled at the initial assessment and also participated in the follow-up (50.9% males; aged 12-17 years; M = 14.8; SD = 1.4). For the second and fourth studies, data from 1174 adolescents who participated in the initial assessment were used (53.6% males; aged 12-20 years; M = 15.8; SD = 1.7). For the third study, data from 554 adolescents who participated in both initial and follow-up assessments were used (52.6% males; aged 13-17 years; M = 15.1; SD = 1.1). The results of the first study showed that susceptibility to peer pressure, perceiving that friends engage in gambling, and perceiving parental and peer approval of gambling behavior are associated with a higher likelihood of initiating gambling. Conversely, perceiving gambling-related problems among friends reduced the likelihood of initiating such behavior. Regarding the second study, it was found that exposure to advertising is associated with increased gambling frequency and more gambling-related problems. This relationship between advertising and gambling frequency was primarily mediated by a favorable attitude toward gambling and the normalization of this activity. Additionally, perceived family support was identified as a protective factor against gambling advertising. The results of the third study showed that a greater perception of gambling availability was related to higher frequency and more gambling-related problems in adolescents. In this case, self-efficacy to control gambling moderated this association, such that it can be considered a protective factor against perceived gambling availability. Finally, in the fourth study, the TPB proved to be a useful model to explain the intention to gamble in both adolescent gamblers and non-gamblers. Specifically, the results showed that maintaining more positive attitudes toward gambling, perceiving other’s approval of this behavior, as well as low self-efficacy to control gambling, are related to a greater intention to gamble, both in adolescent gamblers and non-gamblers. The explanatory capacity of the TPB was higher in gamblers than in non-gamblers, suggesting that previous experience with gambling enhances the association between model variables and the intention to gamble. We believe that these results, despite certain methodological limitations discussed later, may be useful for interventions aimed at delaying the onset of gambling in adolescents and preventing the emergence of gambling-related problems. These results may also be useful when designing policies that consider the regulatory framework of advertising and gambling accessibility.