A message from the Associate Dean for Diversity and Community Engagement

Diversity: the richness in human differences. Why is diversity important? A wide variety of experiences and points of view mean that we get to look at issues from all angles rather than just one. Inclusion: the active, intentional, and ongoing engagement with diversity. Why is inclusion important? It is not enough to have diversity - inclusion means that we value and cherish the wide variety of experiences and viewpoints. Creating and enhancing this environment is important as we set the stage to provide service to our most important customer - our patients. Since September 2013 when I was appointed as the Associate Dean for Diversity and Community Engagement, SKMC has greatly expanded our efforts in D & I. A wide range of activities have greatly enhanced the environment in which we educate our learners and care for our patients. SKMC has expanded its D & I successes

A Message from the Diversity Dean, Dr. Bernard Lopez

Welcome to the first newsletter from the Office of Diversity & Inclusion, intended to reach our students, residents, and faculty and spread awareness about diversity initiatives at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University

Pathological video game playing in Spanish and British adolescents: towards the exploration of Internet Gaming Disorder symptomatology

Research into problematic video gaming has increased greatly over the last decade and many screening instruments have been developed to identify such behaviour. This study re-examined the Problematic Videogame Playing [PVP] Scale. The objectives of the study were to (i) examine its psychometric properties in two European countries, (ii) estimate the prevalence of potential pathological gaming among adolescents in both countries, and (iii) assess the classification accuracy of the PVP Scale based on its symptomatology as a way of exploring its relationship with both the behavioural component model of addiction and the proposed Internet Gaming Disorder. The data were collected via a survey administered to 2,356 adolescents aged between 11 and 18 years from Spain (n=1,132) and Great Britain (n=1,224). Results indicated that the reliability of both versions was adequate, and the factorial and construct validity were good. Findings also showed that the prevalence of pathological gamers estimated with a rigorous cut-off point was 7.7% for Spanish and 14.6% for British adolescents. The scale showed adequate sensitivity, specificity and classification accuracy in both countries, and was able to differentiate between social and potential pathological gamers, and from their addictive symptomatology. The implications of these findings are discussed

The use of different qualitative methodologies in analysing online sports betting adverts

Over the last decade, the amount of gambling advertising has increased substantially both in the UK and elsewhere in the world. One growing area of research in the gambling studies field concerns the content of gambling advertisements (henceforth 'adverts') and how the narrative strategies used by the advertising industry may influence individuals to gamble on their products. This case study examines research we have carried out into the potential psychosocial impact and narratives of online sports betting adverts. This involved the analysis of 135 online sports betting adverts collected over a two-year period. The case study highlights a number of different ways in which the data were analysed to provide new insights in an area with few published studies. The types of data analysis that were employed by the research team included (i) content analysis, (ii) grounded theory analysis, and (iii) conceptual metaphor analysis

Betting, forex trading, and fantasy gaming sponsorships — a responsible marketing inquiry into the 'gamblification' of English football

Environmental stimuli in the form of marketing inducements to gamble money on sports have increased in recent years. The purpose of the present paper is to tackle the extended definition of the gamblification of sport using sponsorship and partnership deals of gambling, forex trading, and fantasy gaming as a proxy for assessing its environmental impact. Using data about sponsorship deals from English Football Premier League, the paper builds on the evidence of English football’s gamblification process to discuss the impact that the volume, penetration, and marketing strategies of sports betting might have on public health and well-being. Findings demonstrate that gambling marketing has become firmly embedded in the financial practices of many Premiership football clubs. It is argued that such associations are not trivial, and that the symbolic linkage of sport and newer gambling forms can become an issue of public health, especially affecting vulnerable groups such as minors and problem gamblers. The present study is the first to explore in-depth the relationship and potential consequences and psychosocial impacts of sports-related marketing, particularly in relation to football

Understanding the convergence of online sports betting markets

Betting on sports via online platforms has rapidly become a popular form of gambling in many countries. Despite the growing body of research investigating the psychosocial and individual psychological factors determining gambling behaviour, much less attention has been devoted to understanding the market characteristics of online sports betting and its intersection with products from adjacent industries. From an economic convergence perspective, the present paper explores the integration of online sports betting within the digital, sporting and gambling sectors, examining how data markets, eSports, virtual sports, social gaming, immersive reality tools, sports media, sport sponsorship, fantasy sports, in-venue and in-stadium betting, poker and trading are all converging around betting activity. Through this convergence process, it is argued that internet-based sports gambling is colonizing different forms of entertainment, and expanding marketing opportunities, as well as raising psychosocial concerns about the influence of such an integration process.</jats:p

Spanish validation of the Problem Gambling Severity Index: a confirmatory factor analysis with sports bettors

Background and aim: The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) is one of the most widely used screening tools for problem gambling. However, no empirically validated adaptation of the instrument to Spanish-speaking countries exists to date. Methods: A sample of 659 sports bettors (Mage: 35.1 years, SD=10.12; 74.2% males) was recruited via an online research panel. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was run to confirm its construct validity. The participants were administered the Spanish version of the PGSI, along with the adaptation to Spanish of the DSM-IV problem gambling instrument for convergent validity. Results: The CFA of the Spanish PGSI showed satisfactory construct validity. The internal consistency (αordinal=.97), as well as its convergent validity with the DSM-IV scores (r=.77, p<.001) was good. Conclusion: The Spanish adaptation of the PGSI offers satisfactory validity and reliability properties, and is a good psychometric instrument for exploring the social consequences of problem gambling in Spanish-speaking contexts