title: Adolescent gambling: a review of an emerging field of research.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this review was to summarize the research on adolescent gambling with implications for research and prevention or intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  The methodology involved a comprehensive and systematic search of "adolescent or youth gambling" in three diverse electronic databases (MedlineAdvanced, PsycINFO, and Sociological Abstracts) and three peer-reviewed journals (International Journal of Gambling Studies, International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, and Journal of Gambling Issues).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The search resulted in 137 articles (1985-2010) focusing on gambling among youth aged between 9 and 21 years: 103 quantitative, 8 qualitative, and 26 non-empirical. The study of adolescent gambling can be summarized as follows: (a) it is conducted by a relatively small group of researchers in Britain, Canada, and the United States; (b) it is primarily prevalence-focused, quantitative, descriptive, school-based, and atheoretical; (c) it has most often been published in the Journal of Gambling Studies; (d) it is most often examined in relation to alcohol use; (e) it has relatively few valid and reliable screening instruments that are developmentally appropriate for adolescents, and (f) it lacks racially diverse samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Four recommendations are presented for both research and prevention or intervention which are as follows: (1) to provide greater attention to the development and validation of survey instruments or diagnostic criteria to assess adolescent problem gambling; (2) to begin to develop and test more gambling prevention or intervention strategies; (3) to not only examine the co-morbidity of gambling and alcohol abuse, but also include other behaviors such as sexual activity; and (4) to pay greater attention to racial and ethnic differences in the study of adolescent gambling.
authors: Department of Sociology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA. pikel@iupui.edu
authors: Lynn
authors: L
authors: Blinn-Pike
authors: Sheri Lokken
authors: SL
authors: Worthy
authors: Jeffrey N
authors: JN
authors: Jonkman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D002648:Child; D005544:Forecasting; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent / Q000379:methods; D012106:Research / Q000639:trends*; D006113:United Kingdom; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult