Personality, eating behaviour, and body weight: results from the population study of women in Gothenburg 2016/17
Authors' conclusion
Psychogenic needs were more closely associated with eating behaviour than personality traits. A lower need to defend one's status and excessive emotional eating were independently associated with higher BMI, suggesting different pathways to obesity and treatment strategies.
Study context
- Population
- Women aged 38 or 50 in Gothenburg, Sweden, health examination 2016/17
- Participants
- 573 women
- Outcome
- Associations of personality traits and psychogenic needs with excessive eating behaviour (Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire score >50) and with log BMI
Methodological detailspopulation-based
- Population-based
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Need to defend one's status (DST) and excessive uncontrolled eating, OR per SD
- 1.44 (1.11, 1.86) (95% CI)
- DST and excessive emotional eating, OR per SD, mutually adjusted
- 1.61 (1.18, 2.20)
- Neuroticism and excessive emotional eating, OR per SD, mutually adjusted
- 1.45 (1.06, 1.97)
- Need for achievement and excessive cognitive restraint, OR
- 1.39 (1.09, 1.76)
- Need for autonomy and excessive cognitive restraint, OR
- 0.78 (0.62, 0.97)
- Excessive emotional eating and body mass index (BMI), adjusted for DST (% higher BMI)
- 5.3 (1.1, 9.6) %
- DST and BMI, % per SD
- −2.7 (−4.1, −1.3) %
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Personality, eating behaviour, and body weight: results from the population study of women in Gothenburg 2016/17. Int J Obes (Lond). Published 4 April 2025. doi:10.
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