Association of problem gambling with psychosocial characteristics among undergraduate students in Astana, Kazakhstan

Background. The prevalence of probable pathological gamblers among college students worldwide doubled in 15 years. While gambling addiction causes financial and social losses, there is lack of studies on gambling involvement in Kazakhstan. Aims. The current research aims to find the prevalence of gambling, explore the link with sociodemographic and psychological variables among college and university students is Astana, Kazakhstan. The study also aims to evaluate the association between gambling and school satisfaction, which was not reported before. Methods. The analysis included questionnaires of 399 students from three universities and three colleges in Astana, using random sampling. The survey consisted of demographic questions, and scales on anxiety and depression, alcohol use, school satisfaction, family cohesion and suicide ideation. Results. From 399 questionnaires analyzed, 5.76% were classified as pathological gamblers according to the gambling scale used. The most popular gambling type was betting on sport events with bookmakers. 12.4% reported placing a bet through bookmakers at present time, and of them 91.5% were male, around half (46.8%) were categorized as some-problem gamblers, and one-third (36.1%) as pathological gamblers. Two-third of them (66%) did not reach legal age for gambling. Pathological gamblers in comparison with non-gamblers/non-problem gamblers are more likely to be male, aged older than 21, have alcohol use disorders, have lower family cohesion, more frequent suicide ideation, and their fathers have no after school education. Some-problem gamblers in comparison with non-gamblers/non-problem gamblers are more likely to be male, have lower school satisfaction, show symptoms of depression, and do not combine work and study. Conclusions. The study gives the first overview for gambling problem and associated problems among undergraduate students in Astana. Associates of problem gambling is consistent with the literature. Since every fourth male in the study places a bet with bookmakers, and majority had a gambling problem, there is need for developing interventions to increase awareness and prevent problem gambling and associated psychosocial problems