Multidimensional eating profiles associated with personality traits during emerging adulthood: A cluster-analytic approach

Introduction

Personality traits can give a fuller understanding for eating behaviors, such as food choice, (un)healhty eating.

Objective

To examine eating styles with a multidimensional perspective considering cognitive, affective and conative (or behavioral) components of eating styles in emerging adulthood, and how they may be related to the Big Five and impulsivity traits.

Methods

Self-reported questionnaires were used to explore the association between the eating styles, Big five traits and facets of impulsivity among young French adults (n = 450; Mean Age = 20.84 years; SD = 2.4, with 79.6% of women).

Results

On the basis of cluster analysis, six eating styles were identified: Healthier, Uninhibited, Dysregulated, Stress-related, Restrictive and Ethical restraint eaters. Results suggest that Uninhibited eaters reported lower scores on Conscientiousness and higher scores on Negative and Positive urgency. The Dysregulated group had lower scores on Extraversion, and high scores on Neuroticism, Negative urgency and Lack of premeditation. Restrictive eaters showed low levels of Openness and Lack of premeditation. The Ethical restraint style was characterized by low scores on Agreeableness and Positive urgency. The ability or inability to cope with both emotional distress and positive and negative impulsive behaviors was related to young adult's eating cognitions and behaviors.

Conclusion

Considering the existence of subtypes of eaters and separate associated personality-related traits, an individual differences perspective (e.g., age, gender, disposition to control one's emotional experiences) should be incorporated.