PERSONALITY TRAITS AND RISK OF EATING DISORDERS IN COLLEGE STUDENTS

Abstract

The present cross-sectional research aimed at exploring the relationship between personality traits and risks of eating disorders. A purposive sample of boys (n=150) and girls (n=150), aged 17-20 years (M=18.66, SD=1.20), provided quantitative data for research. Personality traits was measured through NEO-FFI (Costa & McCrae, 2003) and risk of eating disorders were measured with the help of eating disorder inventoy-3 (Garner, 2004). Findings revealed significant positive relationship between personality traits of conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness and risks of eating disorders (drive for thinness, bulimia and body dissatisfaction) in college students. A negative relationship between traits extraversion and agreeableness and risks of eating disorders (drive for thinness, bulimia and body dissatisfaction) was confirmed. Demographic factors of gender, body mass index (BMI) and family system, along with the NEO-Five Factor Inventory personality were explored as significant predictors of change in risks for eating disorders.