Relationship between Personality Traits and Eating speed - Results from a large cross-sectional study among Iranian adults
Abstract The eating speed has been hypothesized to be associated with energy intake and weight control. Recently, the effects of some factors on eating rate were investigated, however; studies about the impacts of psychological factors in this field are rare. One of these possible factors is personality traits. This study aimed to assess the relationship between personality traits and eating speed. This cross-sectional study was performed among 4763 adults in 2011. Personality trait was assessed by using the Big Five Personality Inventory Short Form. The eating speed was evaluated using a pretested questionnaire and latent class analysis (LCA) was applied to categorize participants according to the eating speed. Multiple binary logistic regression analysis was used for data analyses. We found that the higher levels of neuroticism (quartile 4) were associated significantly with lower odds of normal eating speed (OR: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.31, 0.60; P<0.001) but higher levels of other personality traits were statistically significantly associated with higher odds of normal eating speed. The current study showed significant associations between personality traits and eating speed; accordingly, it provides primary evidence about the potential value of personality traits for managing the eating rate. Further prospective observational and interventional studies are recommended.