title: Gambling behaviors among university youth: does one's religious affiliation and level of religiosity play a role?
abstract: This study investigated the association between religion, religiosity, and gambling using a cross-sectional sample of 570 American University of Beirut students, who self-filled an anonymous English questionnaire. About half (55%) were lifetime gamblers, of which 12% screened as problem/pathological gamblers. Controlling for other demographics and lifetime substance use, Christian students (vs. Muslims) had higher odds of lifetime gambling [6.6 (3.6, 12.2)], any strategic gambling [2.7 (1.2, 5.9)], social nonproblem gambling (SNPG) [7.6 (4.6, 12.3)], and problem/pathological gambling (PG) [6.8(1.8, 26.5)]. Students who never/rarely practiced their faith were 3.6 times as likely [95% CI: 1.5, 8.7] to report lifetime gambling, 3.7 times as likely to report SNPG (vs. NG) [95% CI: 1.3, 10.6], and 7 times as likely to screen for PG (vs. NG) [95% CI: 1.8, 27.4]. Decreased religious importance was associated with greater odds of lifetime gambling, SNPG and PG (vs. nongambling). Stronger associations were observed among Muslims. Religion and religiosity seem to play a protective role, particularly among Muslims whose faith strictly prohibits gambling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Lebanon. lilian.ghandour@gmail.com
authors.forename: Lilian A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Ghandour
authors.forename: Donna S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: El Sayed
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012067:Religion; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult