Relationship between College Students' Binge Eating and Basal Metabolic Index as Moderated by Personality Traits and Gender

Omar Kabha, Fielding's School of Psychology

The aim of this study is to determine whether personality traits, especially conscientiousness and emotional stability neuroticism, and gender are moderators of the observed association between binge eating and obesity. Within this study, there are three main hypotheses to examine: (1) What are the zero-order correlations between binge eating, gender, BMI, neuroticism, and conscientiousness? (2) How much variance in BMI scores can be accounted for by binge eating, gender, neuroticism, and conscientiousness? (3) Do gender and/or the personality traits of neuroticism/ emotional stability and conscientiousness moderate the relationship between binge eating and BMI? A sample of 700 students from the University of Texas at Austin volunteered to complete a survey in which 38% (n = 266) of the students self-identified as binge eaters. Of these students, 52% (n = 158) identified as female and 40% (n = 107) identified as male. The results of the data were based on zero correlation, and hierarchical regression analysis of the variables. The findings generally revealed that there is no interaction between variables but that there is a statistical significant relationship between emotional stability and binge eating and obesity.