Peer influence, social economic status and unemployment as predictors of youth engagement in sport betting in Ilorin metropolis
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2020-06
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ilorin
Abstract
The study examined peer influence, socio-economic status and unemployment as
predictors of youth engagement in sport betting in Ilorin Metropolis. The descriptive
survey research design was adopted for the study. Purposive sampling technique was
used to select 8 major betting centres in the area of study and simple random sampling
technique was used to select 312 correspondents in the selected betting centres. A semistructured questionnaire titled, “Peer Influence Socio-Economic Status Unemployment
and Sport Betting Questionnaire (PISEFUSBQ)” was used for gathering data for the
study. The data collected were analysed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation
(PPMC) and Multiple Regression. Three hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05
level of significant. The findings revealed that there was positive significant
relationship between peer influence and sport betting (r = .640, P< .05). Also there was
positive significant relationship between socio-economic status and sport betting (r
=.682 P< .05).Similarly, there was positive significant relationship between
unemployment and sport betting (r = .666 P< .05). The joint contribution of Peer
Influence, Socio-economic status and Unemployment as predictors of Youth's
Engagement in Sport Betting was significant F = 134.269 p<.05 ; The relative
contribution of unemployment (β=0.353, t=7.029, p<.05), socio-economic status
(β=0.299, t=4.704, p<.05), and peer influence (β=0.199, t=3.320, p>.05) with
unemployment being the most influential factor, followed by Socio-economic status
and peer influence. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that efforts
must be intensified by government and relevant stakeholders to provide employment
opportunities to the youths in order to drive away the habit of sport betting. Youths
should be enlightened and sensitised by parents, government and Non- governmental
Organisations (NGOs) on the dangers associated with having bad peers as friends.
Description
Keywords
Peer Influence, Socio-economic status, Unemployment, Sport Betting