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Gambling among adolescents and young adults has become a significant public health problem. To examine gambling behavior in college athletes, researchers analyzed data from a 2003 National Collegiate Athletic Association risk-behavior study. The self-administered, anonymous survey was completed by 20,739 athletes (about 90% were aged 18–22).
Significantly more men than women reported gambling during the past year (62% vs. 43%). Based on a DSM-IV gambling screen, male athletes were significantly more likely than female athletes to be problem or pathologic gamblers (4.3% vs. 0.4%). In general, as gambling severity increased, so did the prevalence of substance use, disordered eating (particularly among females), and unprotected sex. Problem and…