The association between personality traits and body mass index varies with nativity among individuals of Mexican origin

• Published in: Appetite 2015-07, Vol.90, p.74-79
• Main Authors: Sutin, Angelina R., Rogers, Darrin L., Mercado, Alfonso, Weimer, Amy, Rodriguez, Cecilia Colunga, Gonzalez, Monica, Robins, Richard W., Schwartz, Seth J., Terracciano, Antonio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acculturation; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Body Mass Index; Conscientiousness; Emotions; Environment; Female; Humans; Impulsive Behavior; Male; Mexican Americans - ethnology; Mexican Americans - psychology; Mexico - ethnology; Middle Aged; Nativity; Neuroticism; Obesity; Obesity - epidemiology; Obesity - ethnology; Obesity - psychology; Personality; Personality Tests; Risk Factors; United States - ethnology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0195-6663; 1095-8304
• DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2015.02.036

•Personality traits were associated with BMI in ways consistent with the literature.•Some associations were moderated by nativity in this sample of Mexican origin.•Impulsivity was more strongly related to BMI for 2nd generation Mexican-Americans.•Impulsivity was less strongly related to BMI for Mexicans living in Mexico.•Conscientiousness was associated with lower BMI regardless of nativity. Personality traits have been associated consistently with health-related outcomes, but less is known about how aspects of the sociocultural environment modify these associations. This study uses a sample of participants of Mexican origin (N = 1013) to test whether exposure to the United States, indexed by nativity (Mexicans living in Mexico, foreign-born Mexican Americans, and U.S.-born Mexican Americans), moderates the association between personality traits and body mass index (BMI). Higher Conscientiousness was associated with lower BMI, regardless of nativity. In contrast, the association between Neuroticism and BMI was moderated by exposure to the U.S.: Neuroticism was associated with higher BMI among U.S.-born Mexican Americans (partial r = .15) but not among Mexican participants (partial r = .00), an effect strongest and most robust for the impulsivity facet of Neuroticism. This finding suggests that with more exposure to the United States, those who are more emotionally impulsive are at greater risk for obesity. More broadly, these findings suggest that social and psychological vulnerabilities interact to contribute to health outcomes.