The role of deviant leisure tendencies and loneliness in gambling craving
Frontiers in Public Health, cilt.14, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 14
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1831870
- Dergi Adı: Frontiers in Public Health
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Psycinfo, Directory of Open Access Journals
- Anahtar Kelimeler: deviant leisure, gambling, loneliness, tendencies, university students
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- İstanbul Yeni Yüzyıl Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between gambling craving, deviant leisure tendencies, and loneliness among university students. The study was conducted using a cross-sectional correlational design with a sample of 521 students from different faculties. Data were collected using the Gambling Craving Scale (GCS), the Adult Deviant Leisure Tendency Scale (ADLTS), the UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-8), and analyzed using t-tests, Pearson correlation, and hierarchical regression analysis. Correlation analysis indicated that gambling craving was strongly correlated with deviant leisure tendencies, whereas loneliness showed a weaker but statistically significant correlation. When examined within a hierarchical regression model controlling for demographic and behavioral variables, deviant leisure tendencies demonstrated a substantially stronger association with gambling craving compared to loneliness. In addition, group comparisons revealed that individuals reporting passive leisure engagement and substance use exhibited higher levels of gambling craving. Overall, the findings suggest that gambling craving may be more appropriately understood within the broader context of risk-oriented leisure patterns. However, these results should be interpreted cautiously given the cross-sectional design and reliance on self-report measures, and they do not imply causal relationships. Accordingly, practical implications should be considered as preliminary.