BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE:Chronic stress is a growing public health concern, with cortisol widely recognized as its primary physiological biomarker. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a standardized multiweek program, has shown promise in improving psychological outcomes, yet its specific effects on cortisol levels have not been meta-analyzed. METHOD:We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of eligible MBSR trials, those that (a) reported pre- and postintervention cortisol levels and (b) controlled for timing of cortisol collection. RESULTS:Thirty-nine MBSR intervention studies met the inclusion criteria, with 2,059 participants. Within-group analyses revealed a statistically significant reduction in cortisol levels following MBSR (k = 53, g = -0.26, 95% confidence interval [-0.38, -0.14], particularly in randomized controlled trials (k = 26, g = -0.37 [-0.53, -0.20]), but not in uncontrolled studies (k = 18, g = -0.06 [-0.19, 0.07]). Between-group analyses showed MBSR to be significantly more effective than control conditions in lowering cortisol (k = 34, g = -0.38 [-0.56, -0.21). MBSR had larger reductions compared with inactive controls (k = 23, g = -0.42 [-0.63, -0.20]) and smaller reductions compared with active controls (k = 11, g = -0.29 [-0.54, -0.04]). Significant heterogeneity remained unexplained. CONCLUSIONS:MBSR interventions reduce cortisol, although results vary across studies. As MBSR provides a physiological benefit, it deserves greater implementation in stress reduction initiatives. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
OBJECTIVE:Lonely people are dissatisfied with the quantity or quality of their social relationships. Prior meta-analyses examined the association of loneliness with specific indices of health or well-being. Here we explored associations of loneliness with several indices of health and well-being, in addition to how such associations vary across different conditions. METHOD:We synthesized data from 49 independent meta-analyses that collectively included over 60 outcomes, 1,900 studies, and 4.8 million participants. We used second-order meta-analysis to assess relations of loneliness with health and well-being. RESULTS:We found a robust association of loneliness with broad indices of mental health, r = .37, 95% confidence interval [CI; 0.31, 0.44], psychological adjustment, r = .32, 95% CI [0.28, 0.36], and physical health, r = .15, 95% CI [0.10, 0.20], as well as specific indices of anxiety, cognitive functioning, depression, relationship functioning, social support, and problematic technology use. Loneliness associations varied significantly by loneliness measure and inclusion of unpublished studies, longitudinal studies, and covariates. However, risk of bias may have inflated effect sizes. CONCLUSIONS:Our findings clarify the association of loneliness with several indices of health and well-being as well as the conditions under which these associations are most pronounced. Additional study is needed to examine longitudinal associations, interventions, and preregistered effects. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
OBJECTIVE:Black women are among the least physically active demographic groups in the United States, partly due to sociocultural barriers and medical mistrust. The present research examined whether self-affirmation could help racially discordant physicians enhance Black women's receptivity to a targeted physical activity promotion message. METHOD:In a single-session online experiment, Black women participants (N = 370) completed either a self-affirmation or control writing task before reading a targeted health promotion message about increasing physical activity from a Black or White male physician. Participants then rated the physician's trustworthiness, affective responses to the message, perceived discrimination, and message persuasiveness. RESULTS:Using 2 × 2 univariate analyses of variance, we found that self-affirmation did not significantly influence perceptions of the health message or the physicians (all ds > 0.03; all ps > .094). In contrast, physician race had robust effects. Participants perceived the Black (vs. White) physician as more trustworthy, more persuasive, less discriminatory against their race and gender, and elicited more positive affect and less anger (all ds > -0.54; all ps < .001). CONCLUSIONS:Race concordance, rather than self-affirmation, shaped Black women's responses to a targeted physical activity promotion message. A targeted health promotion message from a Black physician was trusted and well received, whereas the same message from a White physician elicited perceptions of discrimination and anger. These findings suggest that physician racial concordance may outweigh individual-level interventions such as self-affirmation, underscoring the importance of representation and culturally responsive communication in promoting physical activity among Black women. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
OBJECTIVE:This study examined characteristics of discrimination among participants with overweight and obesity, including discrimination attributions (i.e., attributed to weight and/or other personal characteristics) and discrimination frequency across settings (everyday life or medical settings), and their associations with metabolic syndrome. METHOD:Participants with a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² (N = 35,102; aged 57.9 ± 13.9 years; 59% female) from the All of Us Research Program self-reported their experiences of discrimination and contributed biomarker data used to determine metabolic syndrome. Participants identified personal characteristics perceived as reasons for discrimination (e.g., weight, gender, age, race). In cross-sectional analyses, multiple logistic regression models examined how discrimination attributions (weight and/or other personal characteristics) as well as frequency of everyday discrimination and discrimination in medical settings were associated with metabolic syndrome. RESULTS:Participants attributing discrimination to both their weight and other personal characteristics had 31% higher odds of metabolic syndrome than those reporting no discrimination (OR = 1.31, 95% confidence interval [CI; 1.19, 1.43]). Participants attributing discrimination to only their weight did not show significantly different odds of metabolic syndrome relative to those reporting no discrimination (OR = 1.12, 95% CI [.92, 1.37]). Adjusting for discrimination attributions, greater frequency of everyday discrimination (OR = 1.07, 95% CI [1.03, 1.11]) and discrimination in medical settings (OR = 1.09, 95% CI [1.04, 1.13]) were positively associated with metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS:Findings demonstrate the importance of assessing the burden of weight discrimination, including how multiple discrimination attributions and frequency of discrimination across settings may be associated with cardiometabolic health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
OBJECTIVE:Evidence from retrospective studies suggests that childhood experiences relate to levels of systemic inflammation across the lifespan, particularly for women. This prospective study examined associations between childhood family stress and inflammation in early adulthood among women, considering pubertal timing and adolescent adiposity as potential biobehavioral mediators as well as differences by race. METHOD:The sample included 1,362 participants of the Pittsburgh Girls Study followed from middle childhood to adulthood. Childhood family stress was estimated as a second-order latent variable from measures of harsh punishment, caregiver-partner conflict, and caregiver depression assessed annually between ages 5 and 9. Inflammation was measured as plasma levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) (Mage = 23.57 years). Household receipt of public assistance between ages 5 and 9 was included as a binary covariate. Age at menarche and waist circumference at age 12 served as mediators in structural equation models. RESULTS:Greater childhood family stress was associated with higher levels of IL-6 in early adulthood, independently of household public assistance (β = .10, p = .011). Childhood family stress was also indirectly related to adult IL-6 via pubertal timing (β = .01, confidence interval [0.000, 0.004]) and waist circumference (β = .05, confidence interval [0.002, 0.021]). When modeling both mediators together, only waist circumference contributed independent variance to the association between childhood family stress and adult IL-6, and results varied by race. CONCLUSIONS:Stress within the childhood family environment may relate to long-term systemic inflammation, both directly and indirectly through pubertal timing and adolescent adiposity, independently of household public assistance. The identification of life course cascades underlying cardiometabolic risk could inform early health promotion efforts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Young people face a growing mental health crisis complicated by limited access to care. Youth-led participatory action research has the potential to improve youth mental health outcomes by engaging young people in developing sustainable solutions. Current youth-led participatory action research frameworks require ongoing youth engagement that can exclude marginalized young people. To address this gap, Born This Way Foundation and Hopelab implemented a multiphase, cluster-based approach to youth-engaged research offering varied opportunities for engagement of marginalized youth across three phases. Youth-adult partnerships were integrated throughout (a) instrument development and interpretation, (b) convening and dissemination, and (c) creation of action-oriented resources. This approach produced action-oriented, community-facing resources. To advance equity, health psychologists must commit to engaging diverse samples of young people, connecting them with trusted adults, and ensuring their collective perspectives shape decisions and actions across sectors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
OBJECTIVES:To examine whether general stress and childcare stress are associated with long COVID status, symptom number, and symptom duration in women, and whether perceived and received social support moderate associations after accounting for sociodemographic and health-related factors. METHOD:Participants were 2,508 U.S. mothers of young children who completed an online survey in July 2023 as part of a larger longitudinal study begun with pregnant women during the pandemic. All reported at least one prior COVID-19 infection and a subset (n = 280) reported perceived or diagnosed long COVID. RESULTS:Higher general stress (aggregate of past 6 months, past month, current stress) was associated with a greater number of symptoms and higher odds of long COVID, but not with symptom duration. Childcare stress was marginally associated with shorter duration; a greater number of dependent children predicted more symptoms but lower diagnostic odds. Greater perceived support weakened the stress-symptom association but marginally strengthened the stress-long COVID association. Greater received support buffered the stress-long COVID link yet amplified stress-related differences in symptom duration. Overall, childcare stress and interaction effects were not robust to correction for multiple comparisons. CONCLUSIONS:Stress is meaningfully linked to long COVID risk, symptom number, and duration among women, but associations vary across outcomes and are modified by different types of social support. Differentiating perceived and diagnosed long COVID revealed potential inequities in illness recognition. Findings underscore the need for gender-sensitive approaches to long COVID research and care that consider potential impacts of stress and social support. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
OBJECTIVE:Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Health locus of control (HLOC), defined as the degree to which an individual believes they influence health outcomes, has been linked to cardiovascular risk. Yet few studies have examined the mechanisms that explain this relationship. METHOD:Grounded in the biopsychosocial framework and health beliefs model, the present study explored the longitudinal serial mediation role of self-esteem and pessimism in the relationship between HLOC and cardiovascular risk. Data from the Midlife in the United States study were used. The sample consisted of 517 participants, with the majority identifying as female (57.3%) and White (93.9%). RESULTS:The longitudinal serial mediation revealed that HLOC at timepoint 1 (T1) significantly predicted cardiovascular risk at timepoint 3 (T3), with this pathway partially mediated by self-esteem as mediator 1 (M1) and pessimism as mediator 2 (M2). Participants with greater internal HLOC beliefs had higher self-esteem, endorsed less pessimistic beliefs, and experienced lower cardiovascular risk. CONCLUSIONS:These findings highlight the impact of control-related beliefs on cardiovascular health, suggesting that psychological mechanisms, including self-esteem and outlook beliefs, influence engagement in health-promoting behaviors and subsequent health outcomes. This underscores the importance of their inclusion in the assessment and treatment of cardiovascular disease. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Consistent with a social-ecological framework, there is an urgent need to shift psychological science from an individual focus to one that addresses population-level health and mental health. Population health research necessitates transdisciplinary collaboration as well as advances in theory, methods, and analytic approaches to address the complex and interrelated determinants of human health. This commentary introduces a new monthly series in Health Psychology that will offer a critical perspective on contemporary issues and topics relevant to health psychology and the public. Our intent is to contribute to a deeper understanding of health, inspire innovative research, and ultimately improve health at the population level. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
OBJECTIVE:In the United States, Black adults experience higher rates of chronic diseases compared with White adults. Low-grade inflammation is considered a key biological pathway underlying these disparities, and Black-White differences in inflammation have been observed as early as adolescence. However, the psychosocial predictors of low-grade inflammation for Black adolescents remain incompletely understood, with few studies examining how broader school-level factors shape psychosocial experiences that may contribute to low-grade inflammation. This longitudinal study examined (a) whether Black adolescents attending schools with a lower (vs. higher) proportion of Black students would experience greater discrimination and loneliness and (b) whether discrimination and loneliness, in turn, predicted low-grade inflammation 1 year later. METHOD:A sample of 306 Black adolescents (64% female, Mage = 17.6, range = 14-19) completed measures of discrimination and loneliness and provided blood samples to assess low-grade inflammation markers at baseline and 1 year later. School racial composition was obtained from the Department of Education databases. RESULTS:Results showed that attending schools with a lower proportion of Black students was associated with more discrimination (ß = -.15) but not loneliness (ß = -.01). In turn, discrimination and, less robustly, loneliness independently predicted prospective increases in low-grade inflammation over 1 year (ßs = .14). CONCLUSION:These findings suggest that, for Black adolescents, the racial composition of school environments may indirectly contribute to early disease risk by shaping their psychosocial experiences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Dementia spousal caregiving is a chronic stressor and confers increased risk for adverse physical health outcomes, although not all caregivers are equally affected. Personality traits may shape how individuals respond to caregiving-related stressors, influencing vulnerability or resilience to health risks. OBJECTIVE:This study examined whether personality traits moderate the effects of caregiver burden on different markers of physical health in dementia spousal caregivers. METHOD:A sample of 219 caregivers provided blood samples and completed self-reported measures of caregiver burden, personality, and physical functioning. We measured inflammation via ex vivo lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated whole-blood leukocyte cytokine production. Multiple linear regression models tested each personality trait as a moderator of associations between caregiver burden and health outcomes. RESULTS:Lower levels of agreeableness and higher levels of neuroticism moderated effects of caregiver burden on poorer physical functioning and elevated LPS-stimulated proinflammatory cytokine production. Lower levels of conscientiousness also amplified the relationship between caregiver burden and proinflammatory reactivity. In addition, higher levels of extraversion were associated with lower levels of LPS-stimulated proinflammatory cytokines, and higher levels of conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness were associated with better physical functioning. CONCLUSIONS:These findings suggest that personality traits may confer differential susceptibility to the physiological and functional consequences of caregiving stress. Identifying personality-related risk and resilience factors may help inform tailored interventions to reduce health risks and promote health and well-being among dementia spousal caregivers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
PURPOSE:This study aimed to investigate whether psychological factors moderate the association between baseline reproductive hormone levels and oocyte retrieval outcomes in women undergoing in vitro fertilization. METHOD:We conducted a cohort study involving 1,379 infertile women recruited from the Reproductive Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from April 2017 to December 2020. Psychological status was assessed using validated scales, and baseline hormone levels were measured on the 2nd or 3rd day of menstruation. Oocyte retrieval outcomes, including total antral follicle count (measured after ovarian stimulation), retrieved oocytes, and metaphase II oocytes, were evaluated postovarian stimulation. Structural equation modeling was applied to assess the moderating effects. RESULTS:A total of 703 women who completed their first controlled ovarian hyperstimulation cycles were included in the final analysis. Psychological factors significantly moderated the relationship between baseline follicle-stimulating hormone levels and oocyte retrieval outcomes based on the manifest variable models, especially for stress, suggesting that stress exacerbates the adverse effects of high baseline follicle-stimulating hormone levels on ovarian response, although these infertile women have underwent controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. Meanwhile, higher levels of psychological scores still amplified the negative impact of abnormal baseline reproductive hormone levels on the total antral follicle count, retrieved oocytes, and metaphase II oocytes based on the latent variable models. CONCLUSION:Psychological factors, especially stress, play a significant moderating role in the relationship between baseline hormone levels and oocyte retrieval outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of psychological interventions to improve in vitro fertilization outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
OBJECTIVE:Chronic psychological stress responses to discrimination may be associated with more accelerated paces of biological aging at a particular window of time through epigenetic changes in DNA methylation, including in third-generation epigenetic clocks (i.e., the DunedinPACE and GrimAge2). Although discrimination is often measured by frequency, fewer studies examine how its cumulative psychological toll is associated with biological age acceleration, which is a theoretical proposition aligned with the weathering hypothesis. METHODS:The present study analyzed data from two national longitudinal studies: 397 adults completing eight daily diaries in the Midlife in the United States study and 2,059 adults completing five biennial surveys in the Health and Retirement Study. We modeled the within-person associations (i.e., slopes) between discrimination and negative affect as correlates of biological aging captured by the DunedinPACE and GrimAge2 clocks. RESULTS:Across both studies, adults who experienced more discrimination, on average, reported more negative affect. Stronger positive slopes between discrimination and negative affect were associated with faster paces of biological aging at the time of assessment in only the DunedinPACE clock in the Midlife in the United States study and in the DunedinPACE and GrimAge2 clocks in the Health and Retirement Study. These associations persisted after adjusting for the frequency of discrimination, highlighting the importance of modeling stress reactivity rather than exposure alone. CONCLUSIONS:Findings support the weathering hypothesis, suggesting cumulative negative emotions linked to discrimination relate to accelerated biological aging. Future research could leverage longitudinal approaches to identify vulnerable populations and inform interventions to reduce the biological embedding of discrimination. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
OBJECTIVE:Many use cannabis to promote sleep despite insufficient evidence to recommend cannabis as a sleep-aid. Sleep health may instead be promoted through sleep hygiene, though research among those using cannabis is nascent. This study evaluated daily within-person associations among aggregate and individual sleep hygiene behaviors, cannabis use, and sleep outcomes. METHOD:Adults with regular cannabis use (N = 85) completed baseline measures and up to 14 daily diaries (n = 1,021) on cannabis use and sleep. RESULTS:Multilevel models indicated that aggregate sleep hygiene engagement was associated with greater same-night total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and sleep quality. Absence of pre-bedtime arousal was associated with greater same-night total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and sleep quality; only using the bed for sleep/sex was associated with greater same-night sleep efficiency and sleep quality; and greater sleep timing variability was associated with poorer sleep quality. There were significant interactions between cannabis and alcohol use on total sleep time and cannabis use and sleep timing variability on sleep quality. The effect of alcohol on same-night total sleep differed based on cannabis use; total sleep was shorter following alcohol-only use and longer following co-use. The negative association between sleep timing variability and sleep quality was attenuated on cannabis use nights. CONCLUSIONS:This study highlights associations between sleep hygiene behaviors and more favorable sleep health outcomes among those with frequent cannabis use, supporting sleep hygiene as a first-line approach for this population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
OBJECTIVE:Family-based behavioral treatment (FBT) is an evidence-based treatment that has shown statistically significant short- and long-term outcomes for children. However, statistical and clinical significance are different ways to study the impact of a treatment, and recent data have indicated the degree of body mass index z-score (zBMI) change that prevents the development of cardiometabolic disease. METHOD:We conducted a mega-analysis using an individual participant database extracted from 16 randomized controlled studies (N = 1,098) on FBT for 6-12-year-old children with overweight or obesity and a participating parent with overweight and obesity that had at least 1-year follow-up. These data were used to evaluate clinical effectiveness based on -0.25 zBMI change and what percentage of children showed reversal of obesity at 6-, 12-, 24-, 60-, and 120-month follow-up. Analyses also examined whether age and sex were predictors of zBMI change. RESULTS:Across the combined databases, 70%, 61%, 52%, 54%, and 68% met the -0.25 zBMI criteria, and 29%, 27%, 23%, 46%, and 48% reversed their obesity status at 6, 12, 24, 60, and 120 months, respectively. Age was a reliable predictor of change, with younger children showing greater change up to the 24-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS:These results suggest FBT is associated with clinical effectiveness, with long-term effects stable or improving over time. These data support the utility of FBT, and providing data on the clinical effectiveness of pediatric obesity treatment complements traditional reporting of statistical significance of FBT to support the clinical utility of FBT. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
OBJECTIVE:Despite robust evidence linking psychological stress to cardiovascular disease (CVD), explanations for how risk is transmitted are limited by a lack of ecologically valid models. Recent conceptual advances including generalized unsafety theory of stress and social safety theory articulate persistent physiological activation driven by contextual exposure and compensatory situational vigilance as a pathway. This study provides an integrated first test of generalized unsafety theory of stress and social safety theory models on preclinical CVD. METHOD:A diverse community sample of 300 adults (Mage = 42.44 years; 50% women; 60% non-Hispanic (NH) Whites, 19% Hispanic/Latinos, 15% NH Blacks, 6% NH Others) completed a 2-year longitudinal study with surveys, ecological momentary assessment (EMA), and carotid artery scans measuring disease progression. Residential data were geo-coded to assess risk for crime exposure. Data collection occurred in 2012 and 2014. RESULTS:As hypothesized, greater environmental unsafety (geo-coded crime rates; B = 0.02, p < .05) and greater daily social vigilance (EMA self-report; Bs = 0.09, ps < .05) were associated with greater disease progression. Although higher daily social safety (EMA self-report; B = -0.04, p < .001) was associated with lower social vigilance, social vigilance did not mediate associations between either safety indicator and disease progression. CONCLUSIONS:Results align with a persistent activation conceptualization of stress and modestly support the specific theoretical assertions. These findings suggest future stress-CVD investigations should account for multilevel safety influences and continuous monitoring behavior to more accurately capture daily stress experiences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
OBJECTIVES:Encouraging blood donation from ethnic minorities improves patient care, especially for conditions like sickle cell disease (SCD). Campaigns can be specific (highlighting sickle cell disease's prevalence in Black communities) or inclusive (emphasizing shared responsibility). This study evaluates the relative efficacy of specific versus inclusive campaigns to encourage Black blood donors in the United Kingdom. METHOD:A 2 × 2 × 2 online experiment (N = 1,745; 718 Black, 1,027 Non-Black) varied campaign focus (specific vs. nonspecific), inclusivity (inclusive vs. noninclusive), and medium (contextualized vs. not). Participants saw one of four messages (baseline, specific, inclusive, or mixed) and reported willingness to donate, perceived othering, and affect. Awareness of the need for well-matched blood was assessed as a moderator. RESULTS:Relative to baseline, specific and mixed messages significantly increased campaign response, but specific also increased perceived othering among Black participants. Among Non-Black participants, specific messages decreased campaign response relative to inclusive ones and elicited more othering. Mediation analysis confirmed that perceived othering reduces campaign response. Awareness of the need for well-matched blood moderated these effects: Participants aware of matching needs reported less othering and more positive reactions to specific messages. CONCLUSIONS:Specific campaigns can be effective, especially for Black audiences, but risk fostering perceived othering. Awareness of medical need mitigates these effects. To balance efficacy with inclusivity, campaigns should consider combining specific and inclusive messages alongside efforts to increase awareness. Findings generalize to other health contexts requiring demographically targeted messaging. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
OBJECTIVES:The aging of populations is accelerating globally, posing scientific and societal challenges. Beyond physical health factors, there is a need to map the psychosocial determinants of mortality in older adults. This study examines the impact of life satisfaction (LS), positive attitudes toward aging (PA), and negative emotionality (NE) on 10-year mortality risk. METHOD:A total of 2,271 community-dwelling older adults from the Neurological Disorders in Central Spain population-based cohort were included in the study. Participants were comprehensively assessed, including an examination of diverse chronic conditions, health habits, and psychological well-being (i.e., the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale). Associations between psychological well-being factors (LS, PA, and NE) were examined using adjusted Cox regression models. Two-way interaction analyses were also performed to test moderator effects of main covariates (age, sex, diabetes, alcohol, and functional status) on the association between PA and mortality. RESULTS:Only PA, but not LS or NE, was associated with lower 10-year mortality risk in the fully adjusted Cox model (hazard ratio = 0.89, 95% confidence interval [0.83, 0.94], p < .001). The PA effect was robust even when neurological conditions were excluded in the sensitivity analysis. Age reached a statistical tendency as a moderator (hazard ratio = 1.01, 95% confidence interval [1.00, 1.02], p = .03), indicating that the PA effect is slightly higher at younger ages. CONCLUSIONS:PA is associated with a lower mortality risk over a 10-year follow-up. Our findings suggest a complex interplay of physical and psychosocial factors in explaining mortality risk in older adults. Health-related policies targeting older adults should consider PA as a key factor in reducing mortality. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
OBJECTIVE:Past research and conceptualizations of dietary behavior have included many candidate correlates and causes, including personality traits (Lunn et al., 2014). The present research, informed by cybernetic big five theory, clarifies associations between Five-Factor personality traits and dietary behaviors defined by government guidelines (U.S. Department of Agriculture and National Institutes of Health, 2020; World Health Organization, 2020). METHODS:Preregistered meta-analyses were conducted across the Big Five traits and seven dietary categories using correlated and hierarchical effects models and robust variance estimation. Metaregression was used to test the moderating effects of age, sex, and obesity of sample nations. RESULTS:Agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness were positively associated with healthy eating and the consumption of fruits and vegetables, whereas neuroticism was negatively associated. Agreeableness and openness were positively associated with the consumption of whole grains and fiber. Agreeableness and conscientiousness were negatively associated with the consumption of sodium. Metaregression results showed the association between openness and healthy eating was stronger for samples with mean ages greater than 30 years. CONCLUSIONS:The results provide clarity regarding small but reliable associations between Big Five traits and dietary behaviors aligned with formal guidelines. To improve precision for integrative disposition-belief-motivation investigations (cf. Vo & Bogg, 2015), future research should test associations between lower order traits and assessments of diet that are less subject to the biases of retrospective self-reports. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
OBJECTIVE:Multiple psychosocial factors can influence any given health outcome. To establish independent effects, partialing correlated risk or protective factors (e.g., simultaneous inclusion in regressions) is a common strategy. However, partialing can alter construct validity for even well-established measures. The present studies used the interpersonal circumplex (IPC) and elements of the five-factor model as frameworks to evaluate this issue. METHOD:In Study 1, a representative sample of 1,356 U.S. adults completed measures of social anxiety, social support, and interpersonal problems. In Study 2, 300 middle-aged and older couples (total n = 600) completed measures of martial adjustment, depression, anger/hostility, and optimism, as well as IPC-based measures of the spouses' typical behavior during couple interactions and interpersonal style (i.e., trait social behavior), additional measures of marital support and conflict, and facets of the five-factor-model neuroticism domain. The (dis)similarity of associations of unadjusted and partialed variables with the external variables indicative of construct validity was evaluated in structural summary model analyses of IPC correlates and in comparisons of correlations with the additional measures. RESULTS:The primary effect of partialing was a significant reduction in the magnitude of expected associations with external variables in the nomological network, suggesting weaker representation of intended constructs. In some cases, partialing also produced a shift in the constructs assessed by partialed scores. CONCLUSIONS:Partialing can alter the validity of psychosocial measures. Implications for designing, reporting, and interpreting analyses of psychosocial risk and protective factors are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
