TABLE 2.

Summary of studies on personality and obesity¹

Study (reference)	Study design	Study duration, y	Sample size, n	Age, y	Main findings
Brummett et al., 2006 (29)	Longitudinal study	14	3401	39–49	Predictors of linear change in BMI during midlife: Age × personality β (P value): N = 0.001 (0.744), E = −0.005 (0.316), O = 0.010 (0.070), A = 0.003 (0.465), C = −0.010 (0.037).
Provencher et al., 2008 (5)	Randomized cross-sectional study	4	154	36.8–48.0	Positive association between C and BMI (r = 0.20, P = 0.01).
Sutin et al., 2011 (1)	Longitudinal study	1	1988	50	Partial correlations controlling for sex, age, age-squared, ethnicity, and education between personality and BMI: N: r = 0.07, P < 0.001; E: 0.09, P < 0.001; C: −0.06, P < 0.001.
Sutin and Terracciano, 2016 (30)	Cross-sectional study	N/A	5150	˃18	N associated with higher BMI (OR: 1.23; 1.15–1.31; P ˂ 0.01); C associated with lower BMI (−0.79; 0.74–0.84; P ˂ 0.01).
Terracciano et al., 2009 (6)	Longitudinal study	6	5693	14–94	Impulsiveness associated with overweight and obesity vs. normal (OR: 1.036; 95% CI: 1.026, 1.046; P < 0.001). Prospective analysis showed that those scoring in the top 10% of Impulsiveness were ∼4 kg heavier than those scoring in the lower 10% of the distribution 3 y later.
Wimmelmann et al., 2018 (31)	Cross-sectional study	N/A	5286	49–63	Associations between personality traits and obesity in men and women.
					High vs. low E = OR: 1.2 (95% CI: 0.8, 1.8), P = 0.062 in women; 1.4 (1.1, 1.8), P ≤ 0.039 in men.
					High vs. low A = OR: 0.7 (95% CI: 0.5, 1.0; P = 0.026) in women; 0.9 (0.7, 1.1; P = 0.436) in men.
					High vs. low O = OR: 0.7 (95% CI: 0.5, 1.0; P = 0.037) in women; 0.9 (0.7, 1.1; P = 0.540) in men.
					High vs. low C = OR: 0.7 (95% CI: 0.5, 1.1; P = 0.176) in women; 0.8 (0.6, 1.0; P = 0.059) in men.
					High vs. low N = OR: 0.9 (95% CI: 0.6, 1.4; P = 0.586) in women; 1.1 (0.8, 1.4; P = 0.811) in men.

¹A, agreeableness; C, conscientiousness; E, extraversion; O, openness; N, neuroticism; N/A, not available