{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,25]],"date-time":"2026-04-25T03:54:43Z","timestamp":1777089283811,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,22]],"date-time":"2021-03-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1616371200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In Europe and America, associations between personality traits and body-mass index (BMI) have been reported. However, in Japan, the association between personality traits and BMI (i.e., thinness and obesity) has not been well studied. In this study, we investigated the relationship between Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) personality traits and changes in BMI status among Japanese students during their university attendance. We measured the height and weight of 5,340 students in a Japanese university during annual medical checkups and calculated their BMI. The students\u2019 personality traits were measured using the short Japanese version of the TCI at university admission. The participants were divided into seven groups based on how BMI changed from the first year to the fourth year at university. In men, compared to the group that maintained normal BMI status (<jats:italic>N<\/jats:italic> = 2,189) over time (i.e., the control group), the group that maintained thinness status (<jats:italic>N<\/jats:italic> = 226) were lower in Reward Dependence, and the group whose status improved from thinness to normal (<jats:italic>N<\/jats:italic> = 117) were higher in Harm Avoidance. In women, compared with the control group (<jats:italic>N<\/jats:italic> = 1,510), the group that maintained thinness status (<jats:italic>N<\/jats:italic> = 302) was lower in Novelty Seeking, and the group whose status worsened from normal to thinness (<jats:italic>N<\/jats:italic> = 127) was higher in Harm Avoidance. Weak associations were found between thinness and TCI personality traits among Japanese university students. Further elaboration of the relationship between obesity or thinness and personality traits may help to provide effective preventive interventions in these areas.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0248833","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,22]],"date-time":"2021-03-22T17:24:32Z","timestamp":1616433872000},"page":"e0248833","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":11,"title":["Personality traits and BMI trends over three years in Japanese university students"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7871-9996","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Nozomi","family":"Fukuhara-Makiyama","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Masaki","family":"Hayashida","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Masakazu","family":"Kobayashi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ikuko","family":"Sagara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sayaka","family":"Ogawa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mayumi","family":"Maeda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Susumu","family":"Shirabe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0248833.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1281","DOI":"10.1007\/s00198-015-3440-3","article-title":"The National Osteoporosis Foundation\u2019s position statement on peak bone mass development and lifestyle factors: A systematic review and implementation recommendations","volume":"27","author":"CM Weaver","year":"2016","journal-title":"Osteoporos Int"},{"key":"pone.0248833.ref002","unstructured":"Special Committee on Preparation of White Paper on Student Health. The 2015 white paper on student health. The Japanese National University Council of Health Administration; 2018."},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0248833.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"189","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ypmed.2007.09.008","article-title":"Multiple health risk behaviors in German first year university students","volume":"46","author":"S Keller","year":"2008","journal-title":"Prev Med"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0248833.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.32398\/cjhp.v2i2.1729","article-title":"A survey of dietary and exercise habits and perceived barriers to following a healthy lifestyle in a college population","volume":"2","author":"K Silliman","year":"2004","journal-title":"Calif J Health Promot"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0248833.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"24","DOI":"10.5993\/AJHB.28.1.3","article-title":"Change in diet, physical activity, and body weight in female college freshman","volume":"28","author":"SM Butler","year":"2004","journal-title":"Am J Health Behav"},{"issue":"144","key":"pone.0248833.ref006","first-page":"819","article-title":"Racial and gender differences in weight status and dietary practices among college students","volume":"36","author":"RD Debate","year":"2001","journal-title":"Adolescence"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0248833.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.4102\/hsag.v18i1.735","article-title":"Gender differences related to the health and lifestyle patterns of university students","volume":"18","author":"C Janse van Rensburg","year":"2013","journal-title":"Health SA Gesondheid"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0248833.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"181","DOI":"10.3200\/JACH.52.4.181-188","article-title":"Transition to university and vigorous physical activity: Implications for health and psychological well-being","volume":"52","author":"SR Bray","year":"2004","journal-title":"J Am Coll Health"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0248833.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.3200\/JACH.53.6.245-251","article-title":"Weight changes, exercise, and dietary patterns during freshman and sophomore years of college","volume":"53","author":"SB Racette","year":"2005","journal-title":"J Am Coll Health"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0248833.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"14","DOI":"10.1016\/j.amepre.2011.08.026","article-title":"Physical activity and other health-risk behaviors during the transition into early adulthood: A longitudinal cohort study","volume":"42","author":"MY Kwan","year":"2012","journal-title":"Am J Prev Med"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0248833.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"469","DOI":"10.1037\/0003-066X.55.5.469","article-title":"Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties","volume":"55","author":"JJ Arnett","year":"2000","journal-title":"Am Psychol"},{"key":"pone.0248833.ref012","first-page":"57","article-title":"Health and life habits\u2014Differences between age groups and changes from the beginning to the closing of a school term","volume":"24","author":"M Tokunaga","year":"2002","journal-title":"J Health Sci"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0248833.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1753-4887.2008.00143.x","article-title":"The freshman weight gain phenomenon revisited","volume":"67","author":"AP Crombie","year":"2009","journal-title":"Nutr Rev"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0248833.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"579","DOI":"10.1037\/a0024286","article-title":"Personality and obesity across the adult lifespan","volume":"101","author":"AR Sutin","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Pers Soc Psychol"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0248833.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"259","DOI":"10.1080\/08870446.2015.1082561","article-title":"Personality traits and body mass index: Modifiers and mechanisms","volume":"31","author":"AR Sutin","year":"2016","journal-title":"Psychol Health"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0248833.ref016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"669","DOI":"10.1038\/sj.ijo.0803464","article-title":"Personality characteristics in obesity and relationship with successful weight loss","volume":"31","author":"S Sullivan","year":"2007","journal-title":"Int J Obes (Lond)"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0248833.ref017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"431","DOI":"10.1053\/comp.2002.35906","article-title":"Temperament and character in obese women with and without binge eating disorder","volume":"43","author":"S Fassino","year":"2002","journal-title":"Compr Psychiatry"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0248833.ref018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"573","DOI":"10.1001\/archpsyc.1987.01800180093014","article-title":"A systematic method for clinical description and classification of personality variants. A proposal","volume":"44","author":"CR Cloninger","year":"1987","journal-title":"Arch Gen Psychiatry"},{"issue":"12","key":"pone.0248833.ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"975","DOI":"10.1001\/archpsyc.1993.01820240059008","article-title":"A psychobiological model of temperament and character","volume":"50","author":"CR Cloninger","year":"1993","journal-title":"Arch Gen Psychiatry"},{"key":"pone.0248833.ref020","unstructured":"World Health Organization. Global Health Observatory (GHO) data. Mean body mass index trends among adults, age-standardized (kg\/m2): Estimates by country [Internet]. Geneva: The Organization; [updated 2017 Sept 27; cited 2019 Sep 21]. http:\/\/apps.who.int\/gho\/data\/view.main.CTRY12461?"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0248833.ref021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"32","DOI":"10.1111\/obr.12235","article-title":"Personality traits and obesity: A systematic review","volume":"16","author":"G Gerlach","year":"2015","journal-title":"Obes Rev"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0248833.ref022","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"391","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpsychores.2012.08.012","article-title":"Temperament and character predict body-mass index: A population-based prospective cohort study","volume":"73","author":"M Hintsanen","year":"2012","journal-title":"J Psychosom Res"},{"key":"pone.0248833.ref023","volume-title":"Guidelines for the management of obesity disease","author":"Japan Society for the Study of Obesity (JASSO)","year":"2016"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0248833.ref024","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"297","DOI":"10.1080\/07448480009596271","article-title":"An exploration of the drive for muscularity in adolescent boys and girls","volume":"48","author":"DR McCreary","year":"2000","journal-title":"J Am Coll Health"},{"issue":"9\u201310","key":"pone.0248833.ref025","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"427","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1025868320206","article-title":"Thin, sexy women and strong, muscular men: Grade-school children\u2019s responses to objectified images of men and women","volume":"49","author":"SK Murnen","year":"2003","journal-title":"Sex Roles"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0248833.ref026","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"161","DOI":"10.1123\/jsep.25.2.161","article-title":"Muscular dissatisfaction and supplement use among male intercollegiate athletes","volume":"25","author":"B Raudenbush","year":"2003","journal-title":"J Sport Exerc Psychol"},{"key":"pone.0248833.ref027","volume-title":"The Adonis complex: The secret crisis of male body obsession","author":"HG Pope","year":"2000"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0248833.ref028","first-page":"324","article-title":"Cloninger\u2019s temperament and character model and the Big Five","volume":"16","author":"Y Kunisato","year":"2008","journal-title":"Jpn J Pers"},{"key":"pone.0248833.ref029","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"174","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jrp.2017.07.005","article-title":"Personality predicts mortality risk: An integrative data analysis of 15 international longitudinal studies","volume":"70","author":"EK Graham","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Res Pers"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0248833.ref030","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"399","DOI":"10.1097\/JGP.0b013e3181662ac9","article-title":"Personality and all-cause mortality among older adults dwelling in a Japanese community: A five-year population-based prospective cohort study","volume":"16","author":"H Iwasa","year":"2008","journal-title":"Am J Geriatr Psychiatry"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0248833.ref031","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.1525\/collabra.268","article-title":"Is healthy neuroticism associated with longevity? A coordinated integrative data analysis","volume":"6","author":"NA Turiano","year":"2020","journal-title":"Collabra Psychol"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0248833.ref032","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3034","DOI":"10.1038\/s41380-019-0387-3","article-title":"Genetic contributions to two special factors of neuroticism are associated with affluence, higher intelligence, better health, and longer life","volume":"25","author":"WD Hill","year":"2020","journal-title":"Mol Psychiatry"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0248833.ref033","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1089","DOI":"10.1111\/1467-6494.00127","article-title":"Long-term relations of personality and health: Dynamisms, mechanisms, tropisms","volume":"68","author":"HS Friedman","year":"2000","journal-title":"J Pers"},{"key":"pone.0248833.ref034","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jrp.2017.10.005","article-title":"The role of vigilance in the relationship between neuroticism and health: A registered report","volume":"73","author":"SJ Weston","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Res Pers"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0248833.ref035","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"461","DOI":"10.1007\/s40519-014-0130-7","article-title":"Eating behavior and perception of body shape in Japanese university students","volume":"19","author":"K Ohara","year":"2014","journal-title":"Eat Weight Disord"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0248833.ref036","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e104534","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0104534","article-title":"Moderate-vigorous physical activity across body mass index in females: Moderating effect of endocannabinoids and temperament","volume":"9","author":"F Fern\u00e1ndez-Aranda","year":"2014","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0248833.ref037","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"199","DOI":"10.1097\/NMD.0b013e3181999465","article-title":"Increased body mass index associated with increased harm avoidance and decreased self-directedness in Japanese women","volume":"197","author":"A Suzuki","year":"2009","journal-title":"J Nerv Ment Dis"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0248833.ref038","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.1038\/nrn2284","article-title":"Targeting the murine serotonin transporter: Insights into human neurobiology","volume":"9","author":"DL Murphy","year":"2008","journal-title":"Nat Rev Neurosci"},{"key":"pone.0248833.ref039","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.1016\/S0304-3940(01)01552-X","article-title":"Relation among dopamine D(2) receptor binding, obesity and personality in normal human subjects","volume":"300","author":"F Yasuno","year":"2001","journal-title":"Neurosci Lett"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0248833.ref040","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpsychores.2007.07.008","article-title":"Personality and body mass index: A cross-sectional analysis from the Miyagi Cohort Study","volume":"64","author":"M Kakizaki","year":"2008","journal-title":"J Psychosom Res"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0248833.ref041","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1847","DOI":"10.1007\/s11136-011-0098-y","article-title":"Neuroticism and extraversion personality traits, health behaviours, and subjective well-being: The Fukuoka Study (Japan)","volume":"21","author":"J Otonari","year":"2012","journal-title":"Qual Life Res"},{"key":"pone.0248833.ref042","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"137","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jrp.2015.07.006","article-title":"Personality traits and body mass index in Asian populations","volume":"58","author":"AR Sutin","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Res Pers"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0248833.ref043","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e90516","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0090516","article-title":"Personality traits and body mass index in a Korean population","volume":"9","author":"U Shim","year":"2014","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"pone.0248833.ref044","first-page":"16","article-title":"Epidemiological aspects of underweight in women -Japan and overseas","volume":"24","author":"N Yoshiike","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Jpn Soc Study Obesity"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0248833.ref045","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"309","DOI":"10.5926\/jjep.63.309","article-title":"Relation between media use and thin-ideal internalization: University undergraduates","volume":"63","author":"R Uragami","year":"2015","journal-title":"Jpn J Educ Psychol"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0248833.ref046","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"263","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bodyim.2006.04.002","article-title":"The interplay of personality and negative comments about appearance in predicting body image","volume":"3","author":"IL Kvalem","year":"2006","journal-title":"Body Image"},{"issue":"21","key":"pone.0248833.ref047","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4177","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph16214177","article-title":"Social media, thin-ideal, body dissatisfaction and disordered eating attitudes: An exploratory analysis","volume":"16","author":"P Aparicio-Martinez","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0248833.ref048","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"90","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bodyim.2017.03.003","article-title":"Thin and sexy vs. muscular and dominant: Prevalence of gendered body ideals in popular dolls and action figures","volume":"21","author":"H Boyd","year":"2017","journal-title":"Body Image"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0248833.ref049","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"493","DOI":"10.1007\/s11013-004-1066-6","article-title":"The rise of eating disorders in Japan: Issues of culture and limitations of the model of \u201cwesternization\u201d","volume":"28","author":"KM Pike","year":"2004","journal-title":"Cult Med Psychiatry"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0248833.ref050","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"109","DOI":"10.1002\/erv.857","article-title":"Denial and concealment of eating disorders: A retrospective survey","volume":"16","author":"W Vandereycken","year":"2008","journal-title":"Eur Eat Disord Rev"}],"container-title":["PLOS ONE"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0248833","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,22]],"date-time":"2021-03-22T17:25:08Z","timestamp":1616433908000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0248833"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Angel","family":"Blanch","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"editor","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,22]]},"references-count":50,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,22]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0248833","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,22]]}}}