Identification of and Intervention in Gambling Effects among Vulnerable Groups in Public Universities in Kenya(GEPU)

Projects

Background of Awarding Party and Call

  • Established in July 2022
  • Based at Bristol University in the UK that established Bristol Hub for Gambling Harms Research.
  • A community of academics and Hub for cutting-edge interdisciplinary research relating to gambling harms
  • Aims to deliver significant impact on the gambling research landscape, both within Great Britain and across the globe, by bringing new disciplines, theoretical perspectives and methodologies into gambling harms research.
  • Has a broad view of gambling to include newer gambling-like products and practices such as open loot boxes, esports betting, real money video gaming, token wagering and social casino spending and trading apps e.g. bitcoin.
  • The SEHSS has a research group, JOOUST Social Sciences Research and Consultancy Initiative (JSSRCI) which has networks that includes researchers from Makerere university from where we learnt about this call.
  • There was debate about whether issues of gambling lie within our research domain. There was concurrence that it is an issue especially for students in our universities and cuts across disciplines.
  • The next award by the same awarding body is the strategic awards that start in August and end July of the next year worth £50,000. The plan is to scale this up to include more universities and apply for this grant to start in August 2025.
  • The research team is already working on the proposal for the same to be submitted in May 2025.

Project summary

Gambling exists in various forms among staff and students in the Kenyan public universities with adverse effects among vulnerable groups including Persons with Disabilities, low cadre employees and students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Despite being discouraged due to its perceived harmful effects, gambling continues to thrive among the vulnerable groups as a source of income, recreation, speculative competition and relief of anxiety and despair. Consequently, it becomes addictive, creating harmful psycho-social effects with negative impacts on productivity. This project, therefore, sought to identify the magnitude of gambling effects among the vulnerable groups at JOOUST and devise strategies for intervention.

Project aims/Objectives

  1. To identify the harmful effects of gambling among vulnerable groups through questionnaires, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and interviews
  2. To devise intervention strategies to manage gambling harms.
  3. To develop a policy intervention framework for managing gambling harms among vulnerable university staff and students

Background and Methodology on which this Project is based

This project is based on a study by Koross (2016) who examined University Students Gambling and the Effects of Betting on Kenyan University Students’ behaviour.  The main objectives of the study were to investigate the prevalence of betting among Kenyan university students, the motivation of betting and the influence of gambling on the students’ behaviour. Survey and questionnaires were used to collect data from a sample of 100 university students. The findings indicated that the prevalence of betting is high among majority of the students. The motivation of betting was mainly money and enjoyment, and that betting has an influence on student’s behaviour. The study recommended incorporating education on gambling in university programs and that clear policy decisions on gambling should be put in place. The study also raised the need for gambling educational programs and awareness seminars in Kenyan universities. This project will involve vulnerable students and staff. This will lead to more new data.

Various analytical approaches have been used to measure the severity of risks associated with gambling behaviour. This study will use the Canadian Problem Gambling Index scoring system as standardized measure of at-risk behaviour in problem gambling.

The general areas out of which specific items will be generated to measure the severity of problem gambling are: Social and environmental context; Prevalence rate; Correlates of gambling and Consequences of gambling. Snowball and purposive sampling techniques will be used for staff and students and for other participants respectively. The Office of the Deans of Students of the selected universities will be key to this process

Principal Investigator(s)

Mr. Gregory Jumah

Mr. Gregory Jumah

Department of Special Needs Education and Early Childhood Development.

School of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences

Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST)

Funding Source

Award:   Bristol Hub Research Innovation Fund Seedcorn

Project Period:   1st February, 2024 – 31st July 2024.

Project title and start:   Identification of and Intervention in Gambling Effects Among Vulnerable Groups in Public Universities in Kenya

Funder:   Gamble Aware (Company Number 4384279) (Charity Number – England & Wales 1093910) (Charity Number – Scotland SC049433) whose registered office is at Pennine Place, 2a Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0HF. “Funder”

Awarding Party:   University of Bristol (exempt charity with Royal Charter number RC000648) whose registered office is Beacon House, Queen’s Road, Bristol, BS8 1QU “UoB” . UoB Ref: 2023 – 7454

Awardee: Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST), P.O BOX 210- 40601 – BONDO, Kenya “Awardee”

Key Activities and Milestones

  • Application of Research Permit from JOOUST Ethics Review Committee (ERC). ERC approved the study and we have approval certificate.
  • We conducted Inception workshop on 2nd of February, 2024. The stakeholders are aware and understand the study.
  • A project page has been set up on the University of Bristol hub’s Web Page
  • The Team managed to develop data collection tools (Questionnaires, Interview Guide and Focus Group Discussion guide).
  • Piloting of the tools of data collection.
  • The team also completed the sampling of the participants. The participants consented to participate in the study.
  • The project PI also represented the Research Team in the workshop where the University Council and Management Board met university Researchers to build their capacity regarding the research projects, funding and management. The PI brought to their understanding regarding GEPU project and the funder (Bristol Hub for Gambling Harms Research
  • Collection of Data- Data was collected successfully from all the participants.
  • Data Analysis – data analysis was completed
  • Report writing- the team is now compiling a final report in preparation for the dissemination workshop scheduled in the first week of August, 2024.

Impact and Relevance

  • The project has led to development of new collaborations and networks: They include: University of Bristol- United Kingdom, Staff, Students, Students Leadership, University management, Community around the university, University Community Liaison Committee and Communication Authority (CA) of Kenya
  • We have developed a proposal which has been reviewed and we are working on the review comments/feedback on the upscaling of the proposal. This will involve 4 other different universities in Kenya to bring the different contexts of gambling (public urban; private high cost; female only, and faith based and international university).
  • Data has been generated from profiling of vulnerable students and staff in terms of population dynamics of the participants on gender, age and religion that engage in gambling
  • Awareness has been created on gambling harms among vulnerable students and staff at the university
  • Training manuals for capacity building to mitigate gambling harms on vulnerable students and staff have been developed.
  • Manuals for mental health and psycho-social intervention/support have been developed.
  • Educational communication materials (ECM) to disseminate vital information about gambling and its harmful effects on vulnerable students and staff have been developed.
  • A policy intervention framework for managing gambling among vulnerable university staff and students in the university has been developed.

The Research team is hoping to solicit for further funding to:

  • Generate of digital Education Materials (animations on social media)
  • Training of Counsellors, Peer Educators and Peer Counsellors on the use of Training Manual.

Publications

  1. The Research team is concluding three papers for publication, a comprehensive report will be ready by 31st July, 2024 and will be shared during the dissemination workshop on 7th August, 2024
  2. The Research team has prepared a poster to be presented at the Bristol Hub for Gambling Harms Research International Interdisciplinary Colloquium on Thursday 10th October, 2024.

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