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Review
. 2021 Nov;116(11):2968-2977.
doi: 10.1111/add.15449. Epub 2021 Mar 11.

A meta-analysis of problem gambling risk factors in the general adult population

Youssef Allami  1   2 , David C Hodgins  3 , Matthew Young  4   5 , Natacha Brunelle  6 , Shawn Currie  3 , Magali Dufour  7 , Marie-Claire Flores-Pajot  4 , Louise Nadeau  8
Affiliations
Review

A meta-analysis of problem gambling risk factors in the general adult population

Youssef Allami et al. Addiction. 2021 Nov.

Abstract

Background and aims: Few meta-analyses have been conducted to pool the most constant risk factors for problem gambling. The present meta-analysis summarizes effect sizes of the most frequently assessed problem gambling risk factors, ranks them according to effect size strength and identifies any differences in effects across genders.

Method: A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted on jurisdiction-wide gambling prevalence surveys on the general adult population published until March 2019. One hundred and four studies were eligible for meta-analysis. The number of participants varied depending on the risk factor analyzed, and ranged from 5327 to 273 946 (52% female). Weighted mean odds ratios were calculated for 57 risk factors (socio-demographic, psychosocial, gambling activity and substance use correlates), allowing them to be ranked from largest to smallest with regard to their association with problem gambling.

Results: The highest odds ratio (OR) was for internet gambling [OR = 7.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 5.24, 10.99, P < 0.000] and the lowest was for employment status (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.87, 1.22, P = 0.718). The largest effect sizes were generally in the gambling activity category and the smallest were in the socio-demographic category. No differences were found across genders for age-associated risk.

Conclusions: A meta-analysis of 104 studies of gambling prevalence indicated that the most frequently assessed problem gambling risk factors with the highest effect sizes are associated with continuous-play format gambling products.

Keywords: Epidemiology; gambling; gambling disorder; general population; meta-analysis; odds ratio; problem gambling; relative risk; risk factor.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram
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