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Personality and American state differences in obesity prevalence
1Department of Psychology, Cape Breton University, P.O. Box 5300, 1250 Grand Lake Road, Sydney, NS B1P 6L2, Canada . stewart_mccann@cbu.ca
The Journal of Psychology
|September 10, 2011
Summary
State obesity prevalence is linked to personality traits like neuroticism, agreeableness, and openness. Socioeconomic status is the strongest predictor, explaining over half the variation in obesity rates across states.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Obesity is a significant public health concern with complex contributing factors.
- Understanding regional variations in obesity prevalence is crucial for targeted interventions.
- The Big Five personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness) are fundamental dimensions of human personality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether state-level obesity prevalence rates can be predicted by residents' average scores on the Big Five personality traits.
- To identify which personality dimensions, if any, are significantly associated with obesity prevalence across U.S. states.
Main Methods:
- Utilized state obesity prevalence data (2000-2005) from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).
- Obtained state-level Big Five personality trait scores (neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness) from a large internet survey (1999-2005).
- Excluded outlier states (Alaska, Hawaii, North Dakota) and performed correlational and multiple regression analyses on the remaining 47 states.
Main Results:
- State obesity prevalence was significantly correlated with higher neuroticism (.35) and agreeableness (.38), and lower openness (-.44).
- Socioeconomic status (-.74), percentage of white residents (-.34), and urbanization (-.43) were also significant predictors of obesity prevalence.
- Multiple regression indicated socioeconomic status explained 54.0% of the variance in obesity prevalence.
- Personality traits (agreeableness, neuroticism, openness) collectively explained an additional 17.1% of the variance.
Conclusions:
- State obesity prevalence is associated with specific personality traits, particularly neuroticism, agreeableness, and openness.
- Socioeconomic status is a primary driver of state obesity rates, but personality dimensions offer additional predictive value.
- These findings suggest that psychological and socioeconomic factors interact to influence population-level obesity, highlighting potential avenues for public health strategies.
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