Sports betting frequency and psychological distress among youth in Greater Accra, Ghana: An exploratory cross-sectional study
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Introduction: Sports betting is increasingly prevalent among young people in Ghana, yet there is limited local evidence on how betting frequency and borrowing to bet relate to psychological distress. Methods: A cross-sectional exploratory survey was conducted among 100 youths aged 18-30 years in selected university campuses, betting centres and youth-dominated spaces in Greater Accra. Participants were recruited using purposive and convenience sampling after eligibility screening. Psychological distress was measured with a nine-item adapted Depression Anxiety Stress Scale used as a general distress index, not as a diagnostic instrument. Descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation, independent-samples t-test, Mann-Whitney U sensitivity analysis and multivariable linear regression with HC3 heteroscedasticity-robust standard errors were used. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Psychological distress scores ranged from 0 to 27 (mean 7.50, standard deviation 5.66). Betting frequency was positively associated with psychological distress in bivariate analysis (Spearman r_s = 0.335, 95%CI: 0.155 – 0.503, p = 0.001). Respondents who borrowed money to bet reported a slightly higher mean distress score than those who did not, but the difference was not statistically significant (mean difference: 0.15; 95%CI: -2.62 to 2.92; p = 0.914). The Mann-Whitney U sensitivity analysis also showed no statistically significant difference by borrowing status (U = 790.5, p = 0.744). In the adjusted model, betting frequency remained independently associated with higher distress (adjusted beta 2.78, 95%CI: 1.71 – 3.86, p < 0.001), while borrowing remained non-significant. Conclusion: More frequent sports betting was associated with higher psychological distress among youths in this non-probability exploratory sample. The findings do not establish causality. Betting frequency may help identify youth who warrant further psychological assessment, but it should not be treated as a validated screening tool until it has been tested in larger, longitudinal, and more representative studies.
Author: Kingsley Eyram King-Kuadzi
Institutions: Heritage Christian University, Heritage Christian University
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7168018628