Emotion and Stress Related Eating and Personality Dimensions Predict Food Addiction: Implications for Personalized Weight Management and Primary Prevention

Background: Food addiction constitutes a novel health concern with potential consequences for both psychological and physical well-being. While the etiology of Food addiction is likely multifactorial, additional factors beyond obesogenic environments need to be explored. Therefore, we sought to examine the relationships between five-factor personality domains, Food addiction and coping styles related to eating (Emotion and stress related eating) starting from the hypothesis that Food addiction may be determined by coping styles related to eating (based on a Transactional Model of Stress and Coping) as well as specific personality traits Methods and Material: A correlational, quantitative, non-experimental design was employed. A self-report assessment battery was used to evaluate participants’ demographics, Food addiction (the Yale Food Addiction Scale), Emotion and stress related eating (the Eating and Appraisal Due to Emotions and Stress Questionnaire), personality dimensions (the Mini-IPIP) and BMI. Results: The research sample comprised 114 participants aged 18-72 years (Mage = 42.7 years). The sample was predominantly female (71.9%). Additionally, 26.3% of participants were overweight, and 22.9% were obese. We found a strong relationship between Neuroticism and Emotion and stress related eating (Ability and Resources to Cope), with Neuroticism explaining 35.6% of the variance in impaired Ability and Resources to Cope. Neuroticism and Conscientiousness (inverse) were identified as moderate predictors of Emotion and Stress-Related Eating. These personality domains explain 21.5% of the variance in Emotion and Stress-Related Eating. Neuroticism and Conscientiousness (inverse) were also significantly related to Food addiction. Neuroticism emerged as a moderate predictor of Food addiction. Moderate relationships were identified between Food addiction, Emotion and Stress-Related Eating and Ability and Resources to Cope. Emotion and Stress-Related Eating emerged as a strong predictor of Food addiction, accounting for 29.4% of its variance. Conclusions: These findings highlight the significance of personality domains (Neuroticism and Conscientiousness) and coping styles related to eating (Ability and Resources to Cope and Emotion and Stress-Related Eating) in understanding risk and protective factors for Food addiction. Such insights can inform the diagnostic process and development of personalized and targeted therapeutic interventions.