Centre for Global Health, Trinity College Dublin, 7-9 Leinster Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Department of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
J Gambl Stud. 2021 Sep;37(3):723-745. doi: 10.1007/s10899-021-10001-w. Epub 2021 Jan 23.
Mounting evidence suggests that youth in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) find themselves increasingly drawn to gambling related activities; an issue, that if left unchecked, can lead to adverse consequences including financial difficulties, crime and mental health problems. To better understand the psychosocial mechanisms underlying problem gambling, there is a pressing need to conduct more research on gambling related disorders amongst this vulnerable stratum of society. Against this background, the present review explores gambling patterns, attitudes and behaviors among youth in SSA-in a manner aligning with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We systematically searched 8 databases including PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, ProQuest, Wiley Online, Google Scholar, PsycINFO and PsycARTICLES for published research articles up until July 2019. A total of 1624 articles were screened, of which, only 13 studies met inclusion criteria. All of these studies were cross-sectional in nature and the quality of each study was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Studies varied considerably ranging from neuropsychological and personality trait assessment to application of item response theory. Due to this study heterogeneity we could not conduct a meta-analysis. The results presented here suggest that the existing body of evidence pertaining to patterns of gambling-related harm among youth in SSA is weak. This study highlights the need for additional good quality studies focusing on gambling related behaviors and prevalence levels among the continent's youth. Additionally, the findings reported herein emphasise the need for implementing social policies alongside effective public health interventions to tackle gambling addiction.
越来越多的证据表明，撒哈拉以南非洲（SSA）的年轻人越来越多地参与到与赌博相关的活动中；如果不加控制，这一问题可能会导致包括经济困难、犯罪和心理健康问题在内的不良后果。为了更好地理解导致赌博问题的心理社会机制，迫切需要在这一弱势群体中开展更多关于与赌博相关障碍的研究。在此背景下，本综述按照《系统评价和荟萃分析的首选报告项目》的指导方针，探讨了 SSA 青年的赌博模式、态度和行为。我们系统地在 8 个数据库中进行了搜索，包括 PubMed、Science Direct、Scopus、ProQuest、Wiley Online、Google Scholar、PsycINFO 和 PsycARTICLES，以查找截至 2019 年 7 月发表的研究文章。共筛选出 1624 篇文章，其中只有 13 项研究符合纳入标准。所有这些研究都是横断面研究，并且使用纽卡斯尔-渥太华量表评估了每项研究的质量。研究差异很大，从神经心理学和人格特质评估到应用项目反应理论。由于这项研究的异质性，我们无法进行荟萃分析。这里呈现的结果表明，关于 SSA 青年与赌博相关的伤害模式的现有证据基础薄弱。这项研究强调了需要开展更多高质量的研究，重点关注非洲大陆青年的赌博相关行为和流行水平。此外，本文的研究结果强调了需要实施社会政策以及有效的公共卫生干预措施，以解决赌博成瘾问题。
