Elsevier

Nutrition

Volume 30, Issue 4, April 2014, Pages 403-409
Nutrition

Review
Does personality affect dietary intake?

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2013.08.012Get rights and content

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to evaluate the evidence for an association between the Big Five dimensions of personality, dietary intake, and compliance to dietary recommendations. Poor diet is a known risk factor for overweight and obesity and associated chronic lifestyle diseases and it has been proposed that personality may be linked to dietary choices. Findings from cross-sectional surveys from different countries and cultures show a positive association between Openness and consumption of fruits and vegetables and between Conscientiousness and healthy eating. Although no evidence has been found that personality dimensions are associated with adherence to dietary recommendations over time, Conscientiousness is associated with a number of prosocial and health-promoting behaviors that include avoiding alcohol-related harm, binge-drinking, and smoking, and adherence to medication regimens. With emerging evidence of an association between higher Conscientiousness and lower obesity risk, the hypothesis that higher Conscientiousness may predict adoption of healthy dietary and other lifestyle recommendations appears to be supported.

Introduction

Poor diet, one that is low in consumption of fruit and vegetables, is a risk factor for overweight and obesity and chronic lifestyle diseases including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and some cancers [1]. It is also well established that the overconsumption of energy-dense, high-sugar, and high-fat foods is linked to the development of obesity [2], which is associated with comorbidities such as hypertension [3], type 2 diabetes [4] and cardiovascular disease (CVD) [5]. Conversely, it has been shown that consumption of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and low-fat dairy products may be protective against obesity and these chronic diseases [3], [4], [5].

Many factors influence dietary intake [6]. Models of environmental and sociocultural influences show that socioeconomic area and social support have been associated with dietary choices [7]. Those living in wealthier socioeconomic areas with higher household incomes and more food choices and who are married or have more social support consume more fruit and vegetables, whereas those who are from low-income households or who watch more television consume fewer fruits and vegetables [7], [8]. Knowledge about food may play a role [9]. It has been suggested that factual knowledge about foods such as which are healthy, or low fat or high fiber is not enough to ensure their consumption, but that “how-to” or procedural knowledge about where to get them, how to choose them, and how to cook them may be more important [10]. Underlying these factors, models of biological predispositions of eating behaviors have shown that genetically heritable factors influence taste and satiety [11]. It also has been shown that personality, which is thought to be largely inherited [12], may be associated with food preferences and that certain personality types may be more prone to choose healthier food alternatives. [13]. Such associations have been found to occur in children ages 6 to 12, although mediated by relationships with parents [14], and as might be expected if personality predispositions are inherited. A large meta-analysis with 78 931 men and women completed in 2012, found an inverse dose–response relationship between levels of conscientiousness and obesity, such that those with higher levels of conscientiousness had lower risk for obesity [15]. This finding suggests a probable link between personality and dietary intake (and other healthy lifestyle attributes including physical activity) over time such that those who are more conscientious may be more likely to consume a healthy diet and maintain a healthy weight, and provides further impetus to the need for a better understanding of this relationship.

In this review we address the question of whether personality characteristics are associated with healthy dietary choices, such as the consumption of more fruit and vegetables, or compliance to dietary recommendations. First, we review personality, what it is and how it is measured. Second, we assess the effect of personality dimensions on food choice from evidence presented in cross-sectional studies. Third, we examine the evidence from cross-sectional and longitudinal studies for associations between personality and compliance and whether these may have a bearing on adherence to dietary recommendations. Finally we explore the probable genetically based multifactorial pathway for the association between personality and dietary intake.

Section snippets

Method of article selection

Articles were searched for this narrative review in the following EBSCOhost databases: Academic Search Complete, Ageline, CINAHL, Global Health, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Medline, PsychARTICLES, psychEXTRA, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, psychINFO, SocINDEX with full text and SPORTDiscus with full text. For the first section on personality and dietary intake the following search terms were used: Agreeableness, Big Five, Big 5, five factor model, FFM, Openness,

Personality

Personality is the unique constellation of behavioral traits in every individual [16]. These are the distinguishable and enduring ways in which one individual varies from another, and which are consistent in different situations [16]. For example, someone described as being conscientious and reliable would be expected to exhibit this characteristic in all situations, in school, at work, in the family and when socializing, and across time. One of the best-known measures of personality is the

Personality and dietary intake

In the following sections, evidence is reviewed from cross-sectional studies on the relationship between personality and dietary intake. It should be noted that we could not find randomized controlled trials examining the Big Five personality dimensions in association with dietary intake or other health-related regimes. The majority of the evidence relates to adults and because studies in children and adolescents have shown that personality may play a lesser role compared with other factors

Personality and compliance

In addition to cross-sectional evidence that personality may predict dietary intake, it is important to establish whether personality is also associated with long-term eating habits and the ability to comply with healthy eating guidelines. No evidence was found for Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, or Agreeableness having a positive association with compliance in the health domain. However, Conscientiousness has been associated with compliance behaviors in a diverse range of fields of

How personality may influence dietary intake

Taken together, the studies included in Tables 2 and 3 suggest that higher Openness and Conscientiousness predict healthier dietary intake and that higher Conscientiousness predicts compliance to desirable social and health behaviors. However, no longitudinal evidence was found of associations between personality and dietary intake or adherence to dietary guidelines over time.

How personality is associated with dietary intake may be further elucidated by considering the theory of personality

Conclusion

Personality has been shown to be a central determinant of behavior and there is a substantial body of evidence linking personality to dietary intake. In this review, a consistent association has been found between Openness and the intake of fruits and vegetables, and between Conscientiousness and healthier eating habits, and compliance to prosocial behaviors such as attending jury duty, wearing seatbelts, avoiding alcohol-related harm, binge drinking and smoking, and adherence to medication

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  • Cited by (0)

    TEL conceived and wrote the article; SJT, CAN, and AW contributed to the critical review, and all authors have read and approved the final draft.

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