Should I give kids money?: The role of pocket money on at-risk behaviors in Italian adolescents

Edoardo Lozza; Carlotta M Jarach; Giulia Sesini; Elena Marta; Alessandra Lugo; Eugenio Santoro; Silvano Gallus; HBSC Lombardy Committee 2018

doi:10.4415/ANN_23_01_06

Should I give kids money? The role of pocket money on at-risk behaviors in Italian adolescents

Edoardo Lozza, Carlotta M Jarach, Giulia Sesini^*, Elena Marta, Alessandra Lugo, Eugenio Santoro, Silvano Gallus, HBSC Lombardy Committee 2018

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Discussion on the impact of pocket money on positive behaviors is still debated.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of diverse money allowance schemes on risky behaviors (smoking, alcohol, binge drinking, drug use, gambling) during adolescence.

METHOD: 989 students aged 15 from Lombardy (Italy) reported information on money availability in the 2018 wave of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study. To analyze the relationship between money availability and risky behaviors we computed odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals through unconditional multiple logistic regression models.

RESULTS: Spending more than 10€ weekly was associated with higher likelihood to smoke, binge drink or gamble. Receiving pocket money (rather than receiving money upon request) was related to higher likelihood to engage in risky behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS: Pocket money may have a negative impact on adolescents, particularly with a substantial amount of money. More research is needed to understand why providing money only if needed may serve as a protective factor against risky behaviors.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	37-42
Number of pages	6
Journal	Annali Dell Istituto Superiore Di Sanita
Volume	59
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_23_01_06
Publication status	Published - 2023
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Child
Humans
Adolescent
Alcohol Drinking/epidemiology
Risk-Taking
Gambling
Adolescent Behavior
Italy

Access to Document

10.4415/ANN_23_01_06

Cite this

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title = "Should I give kids money?: The role of pocket money on at-risk behaviors in Italian adolescents",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: Discussion on the impact of pocket money on positive behaviors is still debated.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of diverse money allowance schemes on risky behaviors (smoking, alcohol, binge drinking, drug use, gambling) during adolescence.METHOD: 989 students aged 15 from Lombardy (Italy) reported information on money availability in the 2018 wave of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study. To analyze the relationship between money availability and risky behaviors we computed odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals through unconditional multiple logistic regression models.RESULTS: Spending more than 10€ weekly was associated with higher likelihood to smoke, binge drink or gamble. Receiving pocket money (rather than receiving money upon request) was related to higher likelihood to engage in risky behaviors.CONCLUSIONS: Pocket money may have a negative impact on adolescents, particularly with a substantial amount of money. More research is needed to understand why providing money only if needed may serve as a protective factor against risky behaviors.",

keywords = "Child, Humans, Adolescent, Alcohol Drinking/epidemiology, Risk-Taking, Gambling, Adolescent Behavior, Italy",

author = "Edoardo Lozza and Jarach, {Carlotta M} and Giulia Sesini and Elena Marta and Alessandra Lugo and Eugenio Santoro and Silvano Gallus and {HBSC Lombardy Committee 2018}",

note = "Funding Information: The work of SG and CMJ is partially supported by an Investigation Grant from Fondazione AIRC per la Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC IG 2021, ID 25987) and by the Italian League Against Cancer (Lega Italiana per la Lotta contro i Tumori, LILT, Milan). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 Istituto Superiore di Sanita. All rights reserved.",

year = "2023",

doi = "10.4415/ANN_23_01_06",

language = "English",

volume = "59",

pages = "37--42",

journal = "Annali Dell Istituto Superiore Di Sanita",

issn = "0021-2571",

publisher = "Istituto Superiore di Sanita",

number = "1",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Should I give kids money?

T2 - The role of pocket money on at-risk behaviors in Italian adolescents

AU - Lozza, Edoardo

AU - Jarach, Carlotta M

AU - Sesini, Giulia

AU - Marta, Elena

AU - Lugo, Alessandra

AU - Santoro, Eugenio

AU - Gallus, Silvano

AU - HBSC Lombardy Committee 2018

N1 - Funding Information: The work of SG and CMJ is partially supported by an Investigation Grant from Fondazione AIRC per la Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC IG 2021, ID 25987) and by the Italian League Against Cancer (Lega Italiana per la Lotta contro i Tumori, LILT, Milan). Publisher Copyright: © 2023 Istituto Superiore di Sanita. All rights reserved.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - BACKGROUND: Discussion on the impact of pocket money on positive behaviors is still debated.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of diverse money allowance schemes on risky behaviors (smoking, alcohol, binge drinking, drug use, gambling) during adolescence.METHOD: 989 students aged 15 from Lombardy (Italy) reported information on money availability in the 2018 wave of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study. To analyze the relationship between money availability and risky behaviors we computed odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals through unconditional multiple logistic regression models.RESULTS: Spending more than 10€ weekly was associated with higher likelihood to smoke, binge drink or gamble. Receiving pocket money (rather than receiving money upon request) was related to higher likelihood to engage in risky behaviors.CONCLUSIONS: Pocket money may have a negative impact on adolescents, particularly with a substantial amount of money. More research is needed to understand why providing money only if needed may serve as a protective factor against risky behaviors.

AB - BACKGROUND: Discussion on the impact of pocket money on positive behaviors is still debated.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of diverse money allowance schemes on risky behaviors (smoking, alcohol, binge drinking, drug use, gambling) during adolescence.METHOD: 989 students aged 15 from Lombardy (Italy) reported information on money availability in the 2018 wave of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study. To analyze the relationship between money availability and risky behaviors we computed odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals through unconditional multiple logistic regression models.RESULTS: Spending more than 10€ weekly was associated with higher likelihood to smoke, binge drink or gamble. Receiving pocket money (rather than receiving money upon request) was related to higher likelihood to engage in risky behaviors.CONCLUSIONS: Pocket money may have a negative impact on adolescents, particularly with a substantial amount of money. More research is needed to understand why providing money only if needed may serve as a protective factor against risky behaviors.

KW - Child

KW - Humans

KW - Adolescent

KW - Alcohol Drinking/epidemiology

KW - Risk-Taking

KW - Gambling

KW - Adolescent Behavior

KW - Italy

U2 - 10.4415/ANN_23_01_06

DO - 10.4415/ANN_23_01_06

M3 - Article

C2 - 36974703

SN - 0021-2571

VL - 59

SP - 37

EP - 42

JO - Annali Dell Istituto Superiore Di Sanita

JF - Annali Dell Istituto Superiore Di Sanita

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