José Ramón Fernández Hermida

Gender Differences in Early Alcohol and Tobacco Use as a Risk Factor in Spanish Adolescents

The sample is made up of 1,190 adolescents (52.8% boys; mean age = 16.81) from 37 random schools in the urban and rural areas of Asturias (northern Spain). The survey was conducted in 2008, assessing the use and patterns of use of alcohol and other drugs, age at onset of use, and psychosocial consequences. Items from the ESPAD and FRIDA questionnaires were employed. Univariate analyses and binary logistic regression analyses were carried out to determine the different predictive value for boys and girls of early-onset alcohol and tobacco use. The studys limitations and implications are noted.

Validación del Cuestionario de Motivos de Juego en adolescentes: Diferencias según la gravedad y las actividades de juego

Self-reported reasons for gambling have been highlighted as crucial to understanding why adults develop problems with gambling. However, research on motives among adolescents remains scarce. The aim of this study is to explore the factorial structure of the Gambling Motives Questionnaire (GMQ) and to analyze differences in motives among adolescents, depending on the gambling activity and level of gambling severity. A total of 698 adolescent gamblers (M = 15.24, SD = .76) were assessed. As well as the GMQ, the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS-RA) questionnaire was used. Gamblers were classified into three categories (strategic, non-strategic, and mixed) according to the activities engaged in during the last year. An Exploratory Factor Analysis was conducted followed by a Confirmatory Factor Analysis in order to explore the internal structure of the GMQ. Three two-way between-groups Analyses of Variance (ANOVA) were conducted to explore differences in motives according to the type of activity and the gambling severity levels. According to the factorial structure of the GMQ, three main groups of motivations were found: enhancement, coping and social. Compared to non-problem gamblers, problem gamblers scored higher on all motives. Moreover, gamblers seeking enhancement prefer strategic games, those gambling to cope with stress use non-strategic games more frequently, while social gamblers do not show a preference for either strategic or non-strategic games. In conclusion, gambling motives are related to gambling severity and structural characteristics of gambling. These findings may be useful from a prevention standpoint.