Food Addiction and Personality Traits: a Meta-Analysis

Background: Epidemiological and clinical evidence has identified food addiction as a clinically significant phenomenon. Numerous studies have examined its relationship with personality traits, but a systematic review and meta-analysis of these findings has yet to be conducted.
Methods: A systematic search was performed across multiple academic databases to identify studies exploring the relationship between food addiction and personality traits. A three-level meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the strength of these associations for each trait. Meta-regression analyses were used to assess the role of potential moderators.
Results: The search yielded 42 studies, with the majority focusing on impulsivity and Cloninger’s personality dimensions. However, insufficient data were available to evaluate the relationship between food addiction and traits assessed by the five-factor model. The strongest associations were found between food addiction severity and low self-directedness, as well as high levels of urgency and attentional impulsiveness. Age and gender were identified as significant moderators for some effect sizes.
Conclusions: Additional research is needed to clarify the relationship between food addiction severity and certain personality traits. The findings suggest that food addiction shares personality characteristics commonly associated with other addictions and eating disorders, while also highlighting its unique features as a condition at the intersection of both.