Relationship between Problematic Internet Use and Risk of Addiction to Online Pornography among Undergraduate Students in Selected Universities in Kenya

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of problematic internet use (PIU) in the risk of addiction to online pornography among undergraduate students in universities in Kenya. Free and unlimited internet access in universities exposes undergraduate students to online pornography, yet little is known about how PIU relates to the risk of addiction to online pornography. The study was guided by Bandura's theory and used an ex post facto research design. The target population was 97,284 undergraduate students in four universities in Nairobi and Meru Counties, Kenya; the accessible population was 18,911 second- and third-year students. The sample comprised 391 undergraduates, 16 peer counsellors and four student counsellors, a total of 411 participants. Data were collected using a questionnaire (students), an in-depth interview schedule (student counsellors) and focus group discussions (peer counsellors; four groups of four participants). The universities were selected purposively, while respondents were selected through purposive and simple random sampling. The instruments were pre-tested at one similar university and modified accordingly; the reliability coefficient for online pornography items was 0.782. Quantitative data (317 returned questionnaires; response rate 81.1%) were analysed in SPSS version 28, using frequencies, percentages, means, the chi-square test and the independent-samples t-test. Qualitative data were coded and analysed thematically. PIU was significantly associated with risk of addiction to online pornography, χ²(1, N = 317) = 5.43, p = .020, and students with PIU had higher risk scores (M = 11.7, SD = 5.5) than those without (M = 9.9, SD = 4.2), t(315) = −3.25, p = .001. Qualitative findings indicated that curiosity, the search for information on sexuality, idleness, and the privacy and anonymity of online access contributed to online pornography use. The study recommends that government, university management and counsellors develop preventive measures addressing undergraduate students’ internet use.