Psychosocial work dimensions, personality, and body mass index: sex differences.

OBJECTIVES: The association between psychosocial work dimensions (i.e. demand and control) and obesity has been found to be inconclusive, indicating that individual differences factors might also contribute to explain the variability in BMI.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The interaction between work dimensions and personality variables in a group of male and female workers (N = 506), and its associations with BMI were analyzed with a cross-sectional study with self-report data. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to predict the BMI levels from work and individual differences variables and their interactions for males and females.

RESULTS: The main effects of personality variables were not significant, physical workload interacted with neuroticism for males, whereas control interacted with activity for females.

CONCLUSIONS: Psychosocial work dimensions and personality traits were related to BMI for men and women. These outcomes reinforce the notion that different models might account for the explanatory mechanisms of BMI in regard to sex.