The Relationship of Education Level, Lifestyle, and Personality to BMI and Obesity Differs Between Men and Women

Obesity has become a major global health concern, but few studies have examined the determinants of body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) and overweight/obesity (BMI ≥ 25) specifically in women. This study investigated the roles of education, lifestyle, and personality using data from a questionnaire survey of 4276 Japanese adults (2215 women and 2061 men) aged 30–79 years. Multiple regression and logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with BMI (continuous) and obesity (BMI ≥ 25) in women. The multiple regression results indicated that educational attainment, rest, diet, and conscientiousness were negatively associated with BMI, whereas extraversion and openness were positively associated with BMI. Logistic regression further showed that higher education, regular exercise, sufficient rest, and conscientiousness were associated with non-obesity (BMI < 25), while openness was associated with obesity (BMI ≥ 25). To our knowledge, this is the first study to identify determinants of BMI and obesity in women with a simultaneous focus on education, lifestyle, and personality traits.