PERSONALITY TRAITS PREDICT DIABETES RISK IN ADULTHOOD: THE MEDIATING EFFECTS OF USING FOOD TO COPE WITH STRESS

Identifying the individual characteristics that predict which adults will develop obesity and diabetes is crucial. This study included national data from 902 participants (aged 25-75) in the Midlife Development in the U.S. (MIDUS) study. Participants completed the Big-5 personality trait measure in 1995-1996, and behavior/health variables between 2004-2009. We tested whether levels of certain personality traits would predict an elevated risk of diabetes via hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels through eating behaviors. A structural equation modeling framework demonstrated good fit when testing indirect effects (CFI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.05). Indirect effects revealed that higher levels of neuroticism predicted greater waist circumference and higher HbA1c levels due to an increased use of food to cope with problems (IE =0.10; p<0.05). Moreover, indirect effects were found for conscientiousness, albeit in a protective direction. Our findings suggest that personality traits may be an early predictor of behavior and thus long-term adverse health outcomes.