<b>Influence of at-risk gambling on the mental well-being of the youth in Nakawa Division, Kampala District, Uganda. A cross-sectional study.</b>

Vollständiger Abstract

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Background: The football pools are still around today and are, in fact, the source of inspiration for fixed odds on gambling. To assess the influence of at-risk gambling on the mental well-being of the youth in Nakawa Division, Kampala District, Uganda. Methodology: The study employed a cross-sectional survey research design. Quantitative data were analysed using a computerised data analysis program known as the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Results: There was a significant but negative effect of at-risk gambling on mental well-being (β=.211, p=.007). Specifically, the study results show that at-risk gambling significantly accounted for 4.4% of the variance in mental well-being (R2 =0.044, F (1,369), p =.000). Furthermore, the regression coefficient for at-risk gambling was found to be -0.392 with a standard error of 0.095. This implies that for every unit increase in at-risk gambling behaviour, mental well-being decreases by 0.392 units. The negative relationship between at-risk gambling and mental well-being was found to be statistically significant (t(369)=-4.140, p=0.000). This affirms the predictive power of at-risk gambling behaviour on mental well-being. However, since the R2 is below 0.25, this indicates that the effect size is small. Thus, the R2 of 0.044 obtained in the present regression model indicates that at-risk gambling behaviour plays a moderate but significant role in mental well-being. The majority of the respondents were self-employed (51.9%). Conclusion: At-risk gambling was found to have a significant negative effect on youth mental well-being, particularly influencing social and environmental well-being. Youth engaged in at-risk gambling reported strained relationships, financial instability, and exposure to gambling environments that heightened psychological stress. Recommendations: It is recommended that the Ministry of Finance, together with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, develop and fund youth empowerment programs that provide vocational skills and employment opportunities.