To describe the prevalence of gambling disorders in adolescent students in Ontario.
Method
Data were based on a random survey of 2371 Ontario students in grades 7 to 13 using the South Oaks Gambling Screen revised for adolescents (SOGS-RA).
Results
In total, 5.8% of students met the criteria for past-year problem gambling, and an additional 7.5% met the criteria for at-risk gambling. Gambling disorders were significantly higher among male students than female, but did not differ significantly by age or region.
Conclusion
The prevalence of gambling disorders among adolescents warrants thorough investigation and ongoing monitoring.
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