Who is Getting the Message? Sociodemographic Factors and Gambling Behavior Associated with Awareness of the Swedish National Self-Exclusion Registry Spelpaus.se

Awareness and utilization of health interventions can be influenced by sociodemographic factors. These factors play a role in information processing, particularly regarding health messaging. The aim of this study is to analyze how different sociodemographic factors and gambling behaviors are associated with awareness of a (Swedish) gambling self-exclusion register. The study used data from the Swedish longitudinal gambling study (Swelogs) and analyzed n = 6720 participants from a stratified random sample of the Swedish population aged 18-84 years. Logistic regressions were conducted to analyze associations between sociodemographic characteristics, gambling behavior and awareness. Males with middle (OR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.32-2.19) and high income (OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.19-2.09) and females with high (OR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.03-1.76) and middle-level education (OR = 1.35, CI = 1.04-1.76), had higher awareness of Spelpaus.se. Online gamblers with problematic gambling behavior were three times (OR = 3.69, 95% CI = 2.15-6.37) more likely to be aware than non-gamblers. Online gamblers born in Sweden were twice (OR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.19-3.19) as likely to be aware compared to those born outside of Europe. Males with high level of awareness had higher PGSI scores compared to women. Education could increase awareness of potential health risks and opportunities for intervention, particularly among women. Future interventions should be tailored to cater to the specific needs of individuals with lower levels of awareness, to facilitate enhancing their awareness and ultimately promoting a more equitable utilization of self-exclusion measures.