Personality and the prediction of weight loss and relapse in the treatment of obesity.
OBJECTIVE
This prospective study examined whether stable personality traits, as measured by the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP), predicted initial weight loss or long-term maintenance in obesity patients.


METHODS
The KSP was administered to 102 obese patients prior to entering an 8-week weight loss program. Patients were weighed again at the end of treatment and at 3- and 12-month follow-up.


RESULTS
The KSP did not predict initial weight loss after the 8-week program. Several of the KSP scales (Muscle Tension, Monotony Avoidance, Suspicion, and Guilt) had weak associations with 12-month relapse status. Weight gain at the 3-month follow-up was the strongest predictor of 12-month relapse status (O.R. = 0.46; 95% C.I. = 0.32, 0.66).


CONCLUSIONS
Personality traits, as measured by the KSP, do not appear to be important predictors of initial weight loss or 12-month relapse status. Personality assessment may not substantially contribute to predicting treatment outcome in obesity research.
Poston
W S
WS
Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
Ericsson
M
M
Linder
J
J
Nilsson
T
T
Goodrick
G K
GK
Foreyt
J P
JP
D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000150:complications; D010556:Personality Tests / Q000592:standards*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000592:standards*; D012008:Recurrence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic