Association Between Status Anxiety, Materialism, and Gambling Behaviors: Findings from a Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study in Thailand

BackgroundStatus anxiety is defined as a chronic fear of not meeting societal standards of success, but the extent to which status anxiety is associated with gambling and interacts with perceived materialism has not been explored. The objectives of this study are: 1) To assess the extent to which status anxiety is associated with gambling behaviors, and; 2) To assess the extent to which the association between status anxiety and gambling behaviors is modified by materialism. MethodsWe conducted a community-based cross-sectional study in a peri-urban area of a mid-sized city in southern Thailand in 2023. Participants eligible for inclusion were aged 18 years or older (sample size = 1,115). Gambling-related questions were included in a self-administered questionnaire. We categorized the participants into three groups: 1) those who did not gamble in the past year; 2) past-year gamblers without problematic gambling behaviors, and; 3) past-year gamblers with problematic gambling behaviors. We analyzed data using descriptive statistics and multivariable regression analyses with complete case analysis. ResultsParticipants who reported status anxiety had a significantly higher prevalence of problematic gambling behaviors compared to those who did not report status anxiety (12.3% vs. 1.8%; Adjusted OR = 3.80; 95% CI: 1.35, 10.73). When stratified by materialism, we found that among those who did not report perceived materialism, virtually no participants reported problematic gambling behaviors (0% among those with status anxiety vs. 1.1% among those without; adjusted OR not available). Among those who reported perceived materialism, the association between status anxiety and problematic gambling behaviors was not statistically significant. ConclusionOur findings provide evidence that status anxiety is significantly associated with gambling behaviors. However, we did not find clear evidence of effect modification by materialism. Limitations related to potential social desirability bias should be considered when interpreting these results.