Young people’s awareness of the timing and placement of gambling advertising on traditional and social media platforms: a study of 11–16-year-olds in Australia

Background Research has demonstrated that the promotion of gambling, particularly within sport, may have a significant impact on positively shaping young people’s attitudes towards gambling. While some governments have implemented restrictions to limit young people’s exposure to gambling advertising, few studies have investigated where young people recall seeing gambling advertising, and whether they perceive that advertising restrictions have gone far enough in reducing exposure to these promotions. Method Mixed methods, interviewer-assisted surveys were conducted with n = 111 young people aged 11–16 years, who were self-reported fans of basketball in Victoria, Australia. Interviews were conducted at basketball stadiums between May and July 2018. The study assessed media viewing patterns; recall and awareness of the timing, placement, and content of gambling advertising; the impact of gambling advertising restrictions; and attitudes towards sporting organisations’ roles in the promotion of gambling. Results The majority of young people recalled seeing gambling advertising on television (n = 101, 91.0%), with most recalling advertising within sporting matches or games (n = 79, 71.2%). Most young people recalled seeing gambling advertising in the early evening before 8:30 pm (n = 75, 67.6%). Just over half of young people described seeing gambling advertisements on social media (n = 61, 55.0%), and over a third (n = 40, 36.0%) recalled gambling advertising on YouTube, predominantly before watching sporting or gaming videos. The majority stated that they continued to watch sport after 8:30 pm (n = 93, 83.7%), which is when restrictions on advertising in live sport in Australia end. The majority (n = 88, 79.3%) stated that there were too many gambling advertisements in sport. Three quarters believed that sporting codes should do more to prevent young people from being exposed to advertising for gambling in sport (n = 84, 75.7%). Conclusions There is now a clear body evidence that current regulatory systems for gambling advertising are ineffective, with further restrictions urgently needed across a range of media channels to prevent exposure to promotions that may encourage young people’s interest and involvement in gambling

Problem gambling and psychological distress: a cross-national perspective on the mediating effect of consumer debt and debt problems among emerging adults

Abstract Background Severe economic difficulties are common among younger generations who currently have an easy access to consumer credit and payday loans in many Western countries. These accessible yet expensive short-term loans may lead to more severe financial difficulties, including default and debt enforcement, both which are defined as debt problems within this study. This study hypothesized that consumer debt and debt problems mediate the relationship between problematic gambling and psychological distress. Excessive gambling can be funded with consumer debt, which in turn leads to the accumulation of financial stressors and, eventually, psychological distress. Methods Three studies were conducted to examine the hypotheses. Study 1 used a demographically balanced sample of Finnish participants aged 18 to 25 years (n = 985, 50.76% female). Study 2 used a sample collected from Finnish discussion forums and social networking sites, with participants ranging from 18 to 29 years of age (n = 205, 54.63% female). Study 3 used a demographically balanced sample of American youths aged 18 to 25 years (n = 883, 50.17% female). Analyses were based on generalized structural equation models examining the role of problem gambling, consumer debt, and debt problems (i.e., default and debt enforcement) on psychological distress. Additional mediation analysis was run with treating both instant loans and debt problems as mediators. Results All three studies showed that problem gambling was associated with consumer debt, which was further associated with debt problems. Both consumer debt (studies 1 and 2) and debt problems (study 3) were associated with psychological distress. Problem gambling was also directly associated with psychological distress in studies 1 and 3, but not in study 2. In Finland, consumer debt mediated the relationship between problem gambling and psychological distress (studies 1 and 2), while study 3 underlined the mediating role of debt problems in the USA, where consumer debt itself was not positively associated with psychological distress. Conclusions The results of the three studies indicate that problem gambling-related psychological distress is partly explained by consumer debt. Consumer credit and payday loans may provide resources for gamblers that enable them to keep up with the habit. This may eventually lead to debt problems and psychological distress. Cross-national differences exist, but in both Nordic and American models, similar mechanisms prevail. The results imply that limiting consumer debt among emerging adults could cushion the financial and psychological costs of problem gambling

Ecological Contexts in Adolescent Pregnancy: The Role of Individual, Sociodemographic, Familial and Relational Variables in Understanding Risk of Occurrence and Adjustment Patterns

Adolescent pregnancy appears today as an intricate tapestry where different dimensions interact. In our study we examined the associations between individual, sociodemographic, familial, and relational variables and their impact in the occurrence of pregnancy and adolescents’ adjustment to it. Participants were Portuguese pregnant and non-pregnant adolescents (N = 833). Ecological contexts were characterized, and individual and relational adjustment (depressive symptoms and quality of life; perceived quality of relationship with significant others – parents, romantic partner and friends) were evaluated. Differences between the ecologies of adolescents in both groups were identified. Familial and relational variables were significantly associated with both the risk of pregnancy and more difficulties in adjustment. Implications for preventive intervention are discussed