Relationships between personality traits and disordered eating among Chinese female exercisers: the role of symptoms of exercise dependence and obsessive-compulsiveness.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Although numerous studies have examined associations between personality traits and eating disorders in females, few studies have been conducted on female exercisers. Given the high risk of disordered eating in female exercisers, this study investigated the associations between the Big Five personality traits and disordered eating in female exercisers, and further explored the potential mediators, namely exercise dependence symptoms, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms underlying this association. METHODS: A total of 295 female exercisers aged between 18 to 67 years (M =  22.11, SD =  6.65) participated in this study. RESULTS: Negative and statistically significant correlations between conscientiousness (r = - 0.17, p < 0.01), emotional stability (r = - 0.27, p < 0.001) and agreeableness (r = - 0.18, p < 0.01) and disordered eating were observed in our sample of female exercisers. The multiple mediation analyses revealed that exercise dependence symptoms and obsessive-compulsive symptoms mediate the relationship between conscientiousness (ß = 0.016, CI = [0.003, 0.031]), emotional stability (ß = -0.012, CI = [- 0.028, - 0.002]), and disordered eating in female exercisers, whereas obsessive-compulsive symptoms (ß = - 0.041, CI = [- 0.088, - 0.001]) but not exercise dependence symptoms are a mediator of the relationship between agreeableness and disordered eating. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings can be used to improve the screening procedures for eating disorders in female exercisers as they contribute to a better understanding of the psychological mechanisms that underlie the associations between the Big Five personality traits and disordered eating.

Only a few studies have examined the associations between personality traits and disordered eating in female exercisers which, in turn, limits our current knowledge about this research topic. Given the high risk of disordered eating in female exercisers, this study investigated the associations between the Big Five personality traits (i.e., extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness,  emotion stability, and openness to experience) and disordered eating in female exercisers, and further explored the potential mediators, namely exercise dependence symptoms and obsessive­compulsive symptoms underlying this association. A total of 295 female exercisers aged between 18 to 67 years participated in this study. We found that in female exercisers, the level of conscientiousness, emotional stability, and agreeableness are significantly and negatively associated with the level of disordered eating. Additionally, emotional stability and conscientiousness were related to exercise dependence and obsessive­compulsive symptoms among female exercisers and could lead to disordered eating. These findings can be used to improve screening procedures for eating disorders in female exercisers as they contribute to a better understanding of the psychological mechanism underlying the associations between the Big Five personality traits and disordered eating.