Associations Between Big-Five Personality Traits and Attitudes and Perception Towards Health Behaviours

Area of Science:

• Health Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Obesity Research

Background:

• Global obesity rates are increasing, posing significant health risks like ischemic heart disease.
• Malaysia faces a severe obesity crisis, with over 50% of adults obese in 2020.
• Existing health promotion strategies require complementary approaches to address obesity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between personality traits and health perceptions/behaviors in Malaysian university students.
• To identify specific personality traits associated with exercise adherence, healthy diet, and exercise-related fears.
• To explore potential alternative factors for promoting healthy behaviors.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 401 Malaysian university students.
• Data collection via questionnaires on demographics, health perceptions, and behaviors.
• Assessment of personality traits using the Big-Five Inventory.

Main Results:

• Conscientiousness correlated positively with exercise adherence and healthy diet.
• Neuroticism was linked to increased fears related to exercise and perceived lack of resources.
• Openness was associated with higher exercise adherence, while Extraversion showed a negative link with healthy diet.

Conclusions:

• Personality traits are demonstrably linked to health behaviors and perceptions.
• Targeting personality-specific attitudes may offer novel avenues for promoting exercise and healthy diets.
• Further research into psychological factors is crucial for effective obesity interventions.