A latent profile analysis of eating behaviour traits, mental health, and their associations with weight in a cohort of adults enrolled in a weight management intervention

Abstract Introduction There is considerable heterogeneity in the effectiveness of weight management interventions. Person-centred approaches can illuminate individual level determinants of weight change. This study aimed to determine latent profiles of mental health challenges and eating behaviour traits (EBTs) and investigate associations with body weight. Methods Participants included individuals enrolled in the SWiM-C trial with weight data at baseline and 12-month follow-up. Validated baseline measures of mental health and EBTs served as indicator variables in a latent profile analysis (LPA). Adjusted linear regression models assessed associations between profile membership and weight outcomes. Results The analysis included 263 participants, predominantly White (92.8%), female (77.6%), and highly educated (62.7%). A three-profile solution was selected as the best fitting and most parsimonious latent profile model: Profile 1 = moderate mental health challenges and emotional eating profile; Profile 2 = mental health challenges and dysregulated eating behaviours profile; Profile 3 = low mental health challenges and regulated eating behaviours profile. Compared with Profile 3, both Profile 1 (B = 6.30kg, 95% CI 0.02–12.58, p = 0.049) and Profile 2 (B = 8.61kg, 95% CI 1.05–16.16, p = 0.03) were associated with higher baseline weight. Profile membership was not associated with weight change at 12 months. Conclusion These findings illuminate the clustering of mental health challenges and EBTs in adults with overweight and obesity, and have the potential to inform the design of targeted clinical and public health interventions addressing the intersection of obesity and mental health challenges. Level of Evidence Level III, cohort analytic study.