Gender differences in adolescent gambling.
BACKGROUND
Although adolescent gambling has been linked to a wide array of risk behaviors, little is known regarding the correlates of gambling in adolescent girls as compared with adolescent boys.


METHODS
We examined by logistic regression a nationally representative U.S. sample (n = 534) of 16- and 17-year-olds from the 1998 Gambling Impact and Behavior Study (GIBS) (1) to investigate the influence of gender on: 1) the association between gambling and psychiatric symptomatology; and, 2) gambling attitudes and behaviors.


RESULTS
Gambling was associated with elevated rates of alcohol use and abuse/dependence in both boys and girls, and dysphoria/depression in girls only. Boy gamblers reported heavier gambling and higher rates of gambling problems than did girl gamblers.


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescent gambling may be associated with more severe psychiatric symptoms in girls than in boys, though future research will be needed to replicate and extend these findings. Gender considerations are important in understanding youth gambling and the relationship between gambling and psychiatric disorders in adolescents.
Desai
Rani A
RA
Department of Psychiatry and Women and Addictive Disorders Core of Women's Health Research, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA.
Maciejewski
Paul K
PK
Pantalon
Michael V
MV
Potenza
Marc N
MN
D000293:Adolescent; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D007174:Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D017678:Sex Distribution; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires