Next Article in Journal
Preparedness for the Digital Transition in Healthcare: Insights from an Italian Sample of Professionals
Previous Article in Journal
Upper Cervical Manipulation and Manual Massage Do Not Modulate Sympatho-Vagal Balance or Blood Pressure in Women: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
Previous Article in Special Issue
Psychometric Properties of the Arabic Version of the Pictorial Empathy Test for Assessing Affective Empathic Reactions in Patients with Schizophrenia
 
 
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Gambling Behaviour, Motivations, and Gender Differences Among Medical Students in Poland: Survey-Based Study

Student Scientific Club of Transplantology and Advanced Therapies of Heart Failure, Institute of Heart Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-368 Wroclaw, Poland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
These authors (D.K. and J.B.) contributed equally and share equal first authorship.
Healthcare 2025, 13(20), 2555; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13202555
Submission received: 25 August 2025 / Revised: 4 October 2025 / Accepted: 9 October 2025 / Published: 10 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychological Diagnosis and Treatment of People with Mental Disorders)

Abstract

Background: In psychiatry, gambling is classified as an addiction-related disorder and is characterized by a persistent, problematic pattern of behaviour that leads to significant distress and functional impairment. This study aims to explore the prevalence, underlying motivations, and potential academic impact of gambling behaviours among medical students in Poland. Methods: An anonymous online survey was conducted among students from multiple medical universities across Poland. Participants completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS). Respondents who reported any past or current gambling activity were additionally asked about their motivations and potential academic consequences. Results: The study included 281 participants. Active or past gambling was reported by 55% of respondents, with men significantly more likely to gamble currently. Women were predominantly non-problem gamblers, whereas men more often scored within the “some problems” range on the SOGS. Motivations also differed: women emphasised financial gain, while men cited fun, socializing, and competition. Lottery and scratch cards were most popular overall, though men preferred skill-based and casino activities. Conclusions: Although participants showed relatively low levels of gambling involvement, their risk of developing pathological gambling was comparable to that of the general population. Gender influenced involvement in different gambling patterns.
Keywords: gambling disorder; pathological gambling; gambling motives; behavioural addictions; medical students; South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS); survey-based research; gender differences gambling disorder; pathological gambling; gambling motives; behavioural addictions; medical students; South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS); survey-based research; gender differences

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Krupka, D.; Brzoza, J.; Cugier, O.; Szwajkowski, M.; Szwach, J.; Raczkowska, M.; Chełmoński, A.; Drewniowska, J. Gambling Behaviour, Motivations, and Gender Differences Among Medical Students in Poland: Survey-Based Study. Healthcare 2025, 13, 2555. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13202555

AMA Style

Krupka D, Brzoza J, Cugier O, Szwajkowski M, Szwach J, Raczkowska M, Chełmoński A, Drewniowska J. Gambling Behaviour, Motivations, and Gender Differences Among Medical Students in Poland: Survey-Based Study. Healthcare. 2025; 13(20):2555. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13202555

Chicago/Turabian Style

Krupka, Dominik, Jerzy Brzoza, Olgierd Cugier, Maciej Szwajkowski, Jagoda Szwach, Magdalena Raczkowska, Adam Chełmoński, and Julia Drewniowska. 2025. "Gambling Behaviour, Motivations, and Gender Differences Among Medical Students in Poland: Survey-Based Study" Healthcare 13, no. 20: 2555. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13202555

APA Style

Krupka, D., Brzoza, J., Cugier, O., Szwajkowski, M., Szwach, J., Raczkowska, M., Chełmoński, A., & Drewniowska, J. (2025). Gambling Behaviour, Motivations, and Gender Differences Among Medical Students in Poland: Survey-Based Study. Healthcare, 13(20), 2555. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13202555

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Article metric data becomes available approximately 24 hours after publication online.
Back to TopTop