By fostering an interdisciplinary approach, Kimball Moffat has introduced a fresh perspective to the Public Health Department.
A Political Science major, Moffat recently completed and presented his research on the prevalence of pornography among young individuals at the Life Sciences Research Conference.
“I think there’s a super big interaction between the two majors,” Moffat said. The desire to create a better future for everyone is one of the main attractions of the Public Health Department. However, Moffat brings a unique perspective by combining political science with public health.
Gaining this research experience was no easy feat for the political science student. After persistently emailing and knocking on professors' doors, he finally caught the attention of Dr. Nelson, who welcomed him into the academic world.
“I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to study, but Dr. Nelson had access to this really cool database called the ABCD study, and we just dove into it,” Moffat explained. One of the topics in the study—pornography—stood out to him. Upon reviewing the data, Moffat noticed a significant gap in research on the effects of pornography on young individuals.
This realization sparked his determination to explore the issue further. “Once we started looking at the data, we realized that there was something there and a story to be told,” he said. Their research revealed how factors such as gender, screen time use, age, and other demographics influenced pornography use.
Among the 10,000 children aged 9-11 surveyed, 151 were reported by their parents to be pornography users—approximately 1.5%. While this might seem low, Moffat emphasized that the number could be higher due to parental bias or lack of awareness regarding their children's screen-time activities.
The study also found that as screen time increased, so did pornography use among 9-11-year-olds. Other findings showed that 70% of reported users were boys, 23% had a diagnosed mental health issue, and 70% were described as disobedient.
“If they’re more likely to be classified as disobedient, what’s the parent-child relationship going on there?” Moffat questioned. He believes this raises important questions about parents’ ability to discuss sensitive topics with their children.
Looking ahead, Moffat hopes to refine the study by controlling for additional variables that may influence the findings, including race. “In our initial analysis, we found that there were more white individuals who were nonusers compared with Black individuals,” he noted. He also wants to investigate how factors like economic status, cultural norms, and experiences of sexual violence might impact the results.
These insights from public health research have direct implications for advocacy and prevention strategies within political science. “An outcome we’re hoping for from our findings is increased education access for parents and improvements to sex education in Utah,” Moffat said.
He added that inadequate sex education often leads to curiosity being misdirected. “I think there are a lot of taboo topics in society, and pornography is one of them. Just being able to have these conversations, especially in LDS Church culture, could help decrease the stigma associated with it,” he said.
If pornography is being accessed by 9-11-year-olds, Moffat argues, its prevalence in the general population is even more alarming. Reducing the stigma and taboo surrounding the topic could encourage more intentional conversations that address curiosity before it becomes harmful.
“That’s where the intersection between both fields lies: just wanting to create a better future for everybody,” Moffat concluded. His innovative research reflects the powerful potential of interdisciplinary collaboration within the Public Health Department.
Link to Kimball Moffat's research poster: Prevalence and characteristics of pornography use among young children: Insights from the ABCD Study
