The role of social support in the association between gambling, poor health and health risk-taking.

AIMS: Studies have shown that gambling is associated with poor health and health risk-taking behaviour. However, little is known about those factors that can influence the association between gambling, health risk-taking and health. Using a population-based School Health Promotion Study of eighth- and ninth-grade Finnish boys and girls (N = 62,956), we investigated the relationships between gambling frequency, health risk-taking and poor health as well as whether social support from parents, friends and school staff could mediate these associations.

METHODS: Path analysis was used to discover direct and indirect effects of health, health risk-taking and gambling.

RESULTS: Social support from parents and school staff decreased gambling among boys and girls, whereas among boys support from friends increased gambling. However, the role of social support as a mediator was very weak. Overall poor health and health risk-taking were associated with increased gambling. CONCLUSIONS GAMBLING SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AN IMPORTANT PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE BECAUSE IT CLUSTERS WITH OTHER UNHEALTHY BEHAVIOUR PATTERNS INTERVENTIONS CONCERNING ADOLESCENT GAMBLING SHOULD ALSO TAKE OTHER SIMULTANEOUS RISK-TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION ALSO SOCIAL SUPPORT FROM PARENTS AND SCHOOL SHOULD BE NOTED WHEN TRYING TO DECREASE ADOLESCENTS' GAMBLING.