College students' dietary intake and quality according to their myers briggs type indicator personality preferences

The objective of this study was to evaluate differences in college students' dietary intake and quality in relation to their Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality preferences. Students from three large introductory nutrition classes and 26 other classes were recruited to participate. Students (n = 302) completed a scannable version of the food frequency portion of the National Cancer Institute's Health Habits and History Questionnaire (NCI-HHHQ) and the MBTI. Dietary intake was compared using an adapted version of the Diet Quality Index (DQI), a multidimensional indicator of quality, and the recommended servings from the Food Guide Pyramid. Differences were determined by grouping the students according to their personality preferences and applying analysis of variance. Students preferring Extraversion, Intuition, or Judgment had tendencies for better dietary habits. Although some differences existed between men and women, Extraverts, in general, in comparison to Introverts, had higher intakes of grain, fruit, and dairy servings, with an overall superior DQI and a lower percentage of kcalories from fat; however, they also had a higher percentage of kcalories from alcohol. Intuitive women, in comparison to Sensing, had a superior DQI, consumed more fruit servings and breakfasts per week, and had a lower percentage of kcalories from sweets. Women preferring Judgment, as compared to those preferring Perception, consumed a significantly lower percentage of kcalories from alcohol and more frequent breakfasts. Suggestions for future research and for improving nutrition education are made based upon the link between certain personality preferences and dietary quality.