A large-scale national study of gambling severity among immigrant and non-immigrant adolescents: The role of the family

•Little is known about the link between immigrations status and adolescent gambling.•This study used a large-scale nationally representative youth sample.•First-generation immigrants had higher gambling severity.•There was an interaction between family structure and first-generation immigrants.•Not living with two parents increase gambling severity in first-generation immigrants.

AimThe primary aim of the present study was to examine the association between immigrant generation, family sociodemographic characteristics, and problem gambling severity in a large-scale nationally representative sample of Italian youth.MethodData from the 2013-2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Survey were used for cross-sectional analyses of adolescent problem gambling. Self-administered questionnaires were completed by a representative sample of 20,791 15-year-old students. Respondents' problem gambling severity, immigrant status, family characteristics (family structure, family affluence, perceived family support) and socio-demographic characteristics were individually assessed.FindingsRates of adolescent at-risk/problem gambling were twice as high among first generation immigrants than non-immigrant students; the odds of being at-risk/problem gamblers were higher among first-generation immigrants than adolescents of other immigrant generations or non-immigrant. Not living with two biological or adoptive parents appears to be a factor that increases the risk of becoming a problem gambler in first generation immigrants.ConclusionsImmigrant status and family characteristics may play a key role in contributing to adolescent problem gambling.