Personality as a predictor of dietary quality in spouses during midlife

Behav Med. 2008 Spring;34(1):5-10. doi: 10.3200/BMED.34.1.5-10.

Abstract

The authors evaluated the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R) as a predictor of dietary quality in 850 married couples, focusing on associations among each participant's personality as a predictor of their own dietary quality and their spouses' dietary quality. Diet was based on a modified version of the US Department of Agriculture Healthy Eating Index. Openness was associated with self-ratings of dietary quality for wives (r = .28) and husbands (r = .27). Wives' levels of the characteristic openness were also related to their spouses' ratings of dietary quality (r = .22). The primary facets of openness accounting for the domain-level findings were O2-aesthetics and O4-actions. The remaining personality domains (neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) were not associated with self or spousal ratings of dietary quality (rs = .08-.09). Openness was associated with healthy eating habits--findings that may affect disease prevention during, midlife.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Choice Behavior
  • Diet / psychology*
  • Eating / psychology
  • Feeding Behavior / psychology
  • Female
  • Food Preferences / psychology*
  • Health Behavior*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Personality Assessment
  • Personality*
  • Reference Values
  • Self Concept
  • Sex Factors
  • Social Environment
  • Spouses / psychology*