Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
JOURNAL OF TURKISH STUDIES, cilt.20, sa.2, ss.999-102, 2025 (Hakemli Dergi)
Individual differences in food preferences and dietary habits are considered to be related to fundamental personality distinctions. Approaches focusing on enhancing individual emotional awareness, selfmonitoring of emotions, and developing effective emotion regulation strategies have been shown to reduce unhealthy eating attitudes. This study was conducted to examine the mediating role of difficulties in emotion regulation in the relationship between personality and dietary habits. The sample for this research consists of a group of adult individuals. Data collection involved the use of relevant eating, emotion regulation, and personality scales, along with a personal information form. Path Analysis was employed to determine the mediation effect. Findings indicate that emotionality, as a personality dimension, had a positive effect on difficulties in emotion regulation, while honesty-humility, extraversion, and agreeableness had a negative effect. Openness to experience and conscientiousness were not found to have a significant effect on difficulties in emotion regulation. Furthermore, difficulties in emotion regulation had a negative effect on restrained eating, but a positive effect on uncontrolled eating, emotional eating, and hunger awareness. The study revealed that difficulties in emotion regulation partially mediated the relationship between certain personality traits (honestyhumility, emotionality, extraversion, and agreeableness) and dietary habits. These results suggest that psychological constructs related to personality and emotion regulation should be considered in preventive and developmental interventions concerning dietary habits.