Page 1 of 31
Acciones e investigaciones Sociales. No 46 (2025)
66
Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional CreativeCommons Atribución-NoComercial 4.0.
Prevalence and Determinants of Compulsive Buying: A Systematic Review
with Preventive Implications
Prevalencia y determinantes de la compra compulsiva: una revisión
sistemática con implicaciones preventivas
Judith Sol-Gámez1
, Guadalupe Molinari Conde1
, Andrea Vázquez-Martínez1 and Víctor José
Villanueva-Blasco*1
1
Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Internacional de Valencia.
* Corresponding author: vjvillanueva@universidadviu.com
https://doi.org/10.26754/ojs_ais/accionesinvestigsoc.20254610968
Received 2024-08-05. Accepted 2024-11-15
Abstract
Introduction: Numerous studies examine the variables of compulsive buying (CB), but there is no
systematic review unifying them. The aim of this study is to analyse the international prevalence rates
of CB, establish a risk profile and examine its risk and protective factors to enable preventive
intervention. Material and Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed,
Cochrane, Web of Science, ProQuest, and Scopus, covering the last 11 years and following PRISMA
methodology. The search was performed between November 2023 and May 2024. A total of 52
international studies were reviewed, with an average methodological quality of 85.38% according to
MMAT criteria. The main biases found in the studies were selection bias and non-response bias.
Results: Results indicate that 74% of individuals with compulsive buying behaviour were women aged
18 to 30 years, and various variables can predict this issue. CB is associated with substance addiction,
workaholism, and problematic use of the internet and social media. Discussion: In order to standardise
prevalence rates internationally, a validated and unified measurement tool must be developed.
Further research is needed to investigate environmental risk factors as well as the relationship
between CB and other addictions. It is essential to recognize this disorder with the diagnostic
importance it deserves to facilitate preventive measures. Theoretical and practical implications of the
findings are discussed in terms of designing preventive programs.
Key words: Compulsive buying; systematic review; risk factor; protective factor; prevention.
Page 2 of 31
Acciones e investigaciones Sociales. No 46 (2025)
67
Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional CreativeCommons Atribución-NoComercial 4.0.
Resumen
Introducción: Existen múltiples estudios que examinan las variables de la compra compulsiva (CC),
pero no una revisión sistemática que los unifique. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar el alcance
internacional de la CC, establecer un perfil de riesgo y examinar sus factores de riesgo y protección
para poder intervenir a nivel preventivo. Material y métodos: Se llevó a cabo una revisión sistemática
de la literatura en PubMed, Cochrane, Web Of Science, ProQuest y Scopus, referida a los últimos 11
años y siguiendo la metodología PRISMA. La búsqueda se realizó entre noviembre de 2023 y mayo de
2024. Se revisaron 52 estudios internacionales, con una calidad metodológica media del 85,38% según
los criterios MMAT. Los sesgos principales con los que contaron los estudios son el de selección y de
no respuesta. Resultados: Los resultados evidencian que el 74% de las personas con compra
compulsiva eran mujeres entre 18 y 30 años y existen diversas variables que pueden predecir esta
problemática. La CC se relaciona con la adicción a sustancias, el workaholism y los usos problemáticos
de internet y redes sociales. Discusión: Para poder estandarizar las prevalencias a nivel internacional,
se debe validar un instrumento único de medición. Se deben continuar investigando los factores de
riesgo ambientales, así como la relación de la CC con otras adicciones. Es necesario otorgar a este
trastorno la importancia diagnóstica que merece para poder prevenir su desarrollo. Se discuten las
implicaciones teóricas y prácticas de los hallazgos en cuanto al diseño de programas preventivos.
Palabras clave: Compra compulsiva; revisión sistemática; factor de riesgo; factor de protección;
prevención.
INTRODUCTION
Oniomania (Kavitha, 2017), or compulsive buying (CB), is characterised by the repetitive behaviour of
purchasing and an inability to control the impulse to buy (Martín & Pérez, 2007). It is a type of
irrational buying related to obsessive or uncontrollable buying behaviour, leading to compulsive and
excessive spending far beyond one’s actual needs (Acerit et al., 2022). In their meta-analysis, Maraz
et al. (2015) estimate the prevalence at 5%, with variations between countries and populations, and
around 80% of those affected are young women.
Miltenberger et al. (2003) highlight these negative emotions, such as anxiety, boredom, and self- criticism, are common antecedents of CB, while emotional relief and euphoria are its primary
consequences. Low self-esteem (Belmonte et al., 2013; Gopal, 2014), materialism (Redine et al., 2023;
Troisi et al., 2006; Zhang et al., 2018), life dissatisfaction, using consumption as an escape, and stress
relief (Acerit et al., 2022; Roberts et al., 2006) are also associated with CB.
The recent systematic review by Thomas et al. (2023) validates the I-PACE model (Interaction Person- Affect-Cognition-Execution) by Brand et al. (2019) to understand CB, by associating factors that
Page 3 of 31
Acciones e investigaciones Sociales. No 46 (2025)
68
Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional CreativeCommons Atribución-NoComercial 4.0.
generate gratification and compensation with the buying behaviour. According to Trotzke et al. (2017),
the interaction between personal factors (stress or negative moods) and situational factors
(advertisements or shopping images) increases the likelihood that compulsive buyers will react
impulsively when purchasing. Digital immediacy and hyperconnectivity encourage impulsive and ill- considered consumption habits due to the speed and anonymity of the process (Kukar-Kinney et al.,
2009), generating instant gratification and avoiding social judgement (Huang et al., 2022), similar to
addiction models emphasising the loss or reduction of control over the context (Koob & Volkow,
2016). Other digital media-related variables that may amplify the propensity for impulsive buying
include user interfaces designed for quick purchases, the use of social media, and new marketing
strategies (Singh et al., 2023), as well as gamification, which incorporates game elements to reinforce
buying behaviour (Redine et al., 2023).
Although CB shares many characteristics with addictive disorders, it is not considered an addiction
and is excluded from the diagnostic criteria of the DSM-5 and ICD-11, lacking a preventive framework
like that of gambling or internet addiction, video games, and mobile phones. In this regard, no prior
systematic review has been conducted on CB and its predictive variables on an international scale.
Based on the established variables, the research question posed was: What are the international
prevalence rates of CB, what is its current risk profile, and what are the associated risk and protective
factors? Thus, the main objective was to establish the risk and protective factors related to CB and
define a risk profile for CB. As a secondary objective, the aim was to estimate the prevalence of CB
according to the available studies.
METHODS
Search Strategy and Information Sources
This systematic review followed the PRISMA Declaration (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic
Reviews and Meta-Analyses; Page et al., 2021). The search was conducted between November 2023
and May 2024. The databases PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, ProQuest, and Scopus were
reviewed, and the study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024555144).
For the search strategy, the PICO method was applied, including studies with samples of individuals
exhibiting a pattern of CB (P), not undergoing any intervention (I), without a control group (C), and
that assessed prevalence or risk and protective factors, both individual and environmental (O). The
search combined DeCS/MeSH terms and free-text words related to the objectives, along with a
manual search based on the references of studies that met the eligibility criteria. The search
algorithms are presented as Supplementary Material (see Table C1).
Eligibility Criteria