Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate dietary behavior relative to personality type in young adults, and to offer basic data to apply during nutrition education and counseling. A total of 166 university students performed the MBTI (Mayers-Briggs Type Indicator) test along with questionnaire interviews, and 3 day 24-hr dietary recalls. MBTI personality preferences are presented and separated by 4 types of indices: Extraversion (E) and Introversion (I), Sensing (S) and Intuition (N), Thinking (T) and Feeling (F), and Judgement (J) and Perception (P). More subjects in the I type than the E type had lunch everyday or ate out more than once a week. Compared to the P type, the J type ate a higher proportion of meals with family, and seldom drank alcohol, but a lower proportion had a preference for salty taste. Compared to the N type, the S type had a higher proportion of subjects who consumed large quantities at regular meals as well as when under high amounts of stress. Also, the S type subjects had significantly higher lipid intakes than the N type subjects. Compared to the F type, a higher proportion of the T type subjects ate meals alone but a lower proportion had a dislike for bitter tasting foods. There were no significant differences in total food or energy intakes relative to the different personality types. In conclusion, individual personality type may influence dietary behavior, but additional studies are needed that contain individuals of various ages and include long term dietary surveys.
