Prevalence of problematic pornography use: a meta-analysis

At least one narrative review has examined cross-cultural differences in the prevalence rates of problematic pornography use (PPU). However, the data were not synthesised statistically, precluding an identification of the pooled prevalence rate of PPU. The current study aimed to address the limitation by conducting a meta-analysis to statistically synthesise the prevalence rates of PPU among the general population. A comprehensive search was conducted on the databases ProQuest, PsycArticles, and PubMed from inception to 11 October 2024. The data was analysed using Meta-Essentials, and the random effects model was used to obtain the pooled estimate of the effect size. A total of 22 articles were included (total N =31,566). An overall pooled prevalence rate of 13.00% (95% CI: 8.00-19.00%) was found for PPU across general and subpopulations (e.g. students). However, significant heterogeneity was found across the prevalence rates, and they could be explained by region of the study, sample type (representative sample vs convenience sample), and the type of PPU instrument used. Limitations of the study include the inclusion of studies with Ad hoc scales in the meta-analysis and the modest impact of publication bias on the results. Future research directions include examining the forbidden fruit effect for PPU and examining potential interaction effects between key variables (e.g. region of the study, type of PPU instrument used) in predicting prevalence rates.