First Name:
Hailey
Last Name:
Moore
Major Department:
Psychology
Thesis Director:
Will Canu
Date of Thesis:
May 2014
Research indicates that the college population is at risk for behavior-related diseases, like elevated blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease (Spencer, 2002; Huang et al., 2003; Mokdad et al., 2004; & National Institutes of Health, 2012). In an effort to understand contributing factors, existent literature has suggested a relationship between traits, as outlined by the Five Factor Model of Personality and participation in preventive or risky health behaviors (Raynor & Levine, 2009; Vollrath & Torgesen, 2002; Ingledew & Brunning, 1999; Lemos-Giraldez & Fidalgo-Aliste, 1997). While the majority of research has focused on risky health behaviors (i.e., alcohol use, smoking and risky sexual behavior), less effort has been directed at understanding preventive behaviors, like diet. The current study was aimed at expanding the literature by examining food choices in the context of the Five Factor Model, where traits were measured at facet level. Forty-six undergraduates (67.4% female; 87% Caucasian) were recruited and completed a battery of questionnaires including a demographics form, the International Personality Item Pool (http://ipip.ori.org/), and an inventory of eating habits (ACHA-NCHA; NCHRBS). Facet-level analysis revealed limited support for hypotheses; higher scores on achievement striving within the domain of Conscientiousness predicted healthier eating and exploratory analysis showed higher scores on immoderation within the Neuroticism domain predicted unhealthier eating. Finally, a weak negative correlation was found for Body Mass Index (BMI) and healthy eating habits. Future research should delve further into understanding the influence of facet-level traits in predicting eating behavior. Keywords: Five Factor Model, personality, eating behaviors