Relation of eating behavior and family health and personality traits in adolescents

Abstract

Objective To explore the relation of eating behavior to family health and personality traits in adolescents, and to provide empirical support for personality-based prediction of adolescents’ susceptibility to poor eating behavior and family intervention.

Methods A total of 563 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years old from nuclear families, who were selected from “Survey of Chinese Family Health Index (2021)”. A general characteristic questionnaire, Short-fomi of Family Health Scale, 10-item Big Five Inventory, and Short-form of Sakata Eating Behavior Scale were used to collect information. The relationships of eating behavior to family health and personality traits were analyzed by structural equation modeling.

Results Group comparison indicated that there was a significant difference in scores of the big five personalities and eating behaviors among adolescents from diverse family health statuses ( P<0.01). Additionally, there were significant correlations among family health, personality traits, and eating behavior ( P<0.01). Structural equation modeling showed that family health resources (−0.34), conscientiousness (−0.17), extraversion (0.14), agreeableness (−0.13) directly affected eating behavior ( P<0.05). Meanwhile, family external social support associated with eating behavior by affecting extraversion (0.22), and family health resources associated with eating behavior by affecting agreeableness (0.12) ( P<0.05).

Conclusion Not only could family health directly affect eating behavior, but it could indirectly associate with eating behavior by affecting personality traits among adolescents in nuclear families. The role of the family in improving adolescent poor eating behavior should be emphasized.

Abstract

【摘要】 目的 探究核心家庭青少年家庭健康功能、人格特质与进食行为之间的关系, 为基于人格的青少年不良进食行 为易感性预测及家庭干预提供实证支持。 方法 选取 “2021 年中国家庭健康指数调査” 数据中生活于核心家庭的 563 名 12~17 岁青少年为研究对象, 采用一般资料调査表、家庭健康量表简版、大五人格量表简版、进食行为量表进行调査, 采用 结构方程模型分析青少年家庭健康功能、人格特质与进食行为之间的关系。 结果 单因素分析显示, 不健康家庭、一般健 康家庭、健康家庭青少年的大五人格及进食行为得分差异均有统计学意义 ( P 值均<0.01)。相关分析显示, 青少年家庭健 康功能、大五人格及进食行为三者均存在相关关系 ( P 值均<0.05)。结构方程模型显示, 家庭健康资源、严谨性、外向性、宜 人性可直接影响不良进食行为 (标准化效应为 −0.34, −0.17, 0.14, −0.13), 家庭健康资源可通过影响宜人性、家庭外部社会 支持可通过影响外向性间接影响不良进食行为 (标准化效应为 0.12, 0.22) ( P 值均<0.05)。 结论 核心家庭青少年的家庭 健康功能通过大五人格影响进食行为存在直接和间接效应, 应重视家庭干预对青少年不良进食行为的改善作用。