Association between impulsivity and weight status in a general population

Abstract

Background: Impulsivity is a personality trait which has been inconsistently found to be associated with weight status. In addition, this relationship has rarely been explored in a large general population. We aimed to examine the association between impulsivity and weight status in a large sample of the adult general population in France, and the influence of gender on this relationship. Methods: A total of 11,929 men and 39,114 women aged ≥ 18 years participating in the NutriNet-Santé study (a large ongoing web-based prospective cohort started in France in May 2009) were selected in this cross-sectional analysis. The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) was used to assess impulsivity. Weight and height were self-reported. The association between impulsivity and weight status was estimated using multinomial logistic regression models adjusted for socio-demographic and lifestyle factors. Findings: Individuals with high impulsivity levels (BIS-11 total score > 71) were more likely to be overweight (OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.16-1.71 in men; OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.02-1.26 in women) compared to individuals in the normal range of impulsivity. The strongest associations between impulsivity and obesity were observed in men, where highly impulsive participants were more likely to be class III obese (OR = 3.50, 95% CI: 1.83-6.71). Discussion: These observations support the existence of a relationship between impulsivity and weight status, especially in men, and confirm the importance of taking psychological factors into account in the prevention and management of obesity.