Abstract The widespread accessibility of pornography has raised growing academic concern, as its problematic use has been linked to various detrimental variables (e.g., rumination, anxiety, lower life satisfaction, among others). This study aimed to identify key predictors of problematic pornography use (PPU), including loneliness, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and emotion regulation strategies such as expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal in college students enrolled at the National Autonomous University of Honduras. A total of 550 undergraduate students participated in this cross-sectional, quantitative study by completing an online survey that included the Problematic Pornography Consumption Scale (PPCS), the Short-Form UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire. From the total sample, 5.27% were classified as at risk of PPU, with a higher prevalence among men (3.45%) than women (1.82%). Average PPCS scores were 32.58, with the highest ratings linked to unsuccessful attempts to quit and use pornography for tension release. Men scored significantly higher than women on nearly all items and on the total scale. No sex differences were found in emotion regulation or loneliness, though women reported more adverse childhood experiences. Regression analyses showed that loneliness, male sex, and ACEs significantly predicted PPU, while age, emotion regulation, faculty, and relationship status did not. Overall, these findings indicate that social-emotional vulnerabilities and early adversity are key predictors of PPU. This study contributes to understanding how adverse childhood experiences, together with emotional factors such as loneliness, may be associated with higher levels of PPU.
Hernández-Fiallos et al. (Tue,) studied this question.