Enneagram Types, Eating Behaviors, and Psychological Well-Being (OBEZ-ENNEA)

A Holistic Investigation of the Relationships Between Enneagram Personality Types, Body Mass Index, Eating Behaviors, Emotional Eating, Psychological Well-Being, and Spirituality

This observational study aimed to investigate the relationship between Enneagram personality types, body mass index, eating habits, emotional eating, psychological well-being, and spirituality among adults living in Turkey with normal weight, overweight, and obesity. The study adopts a holistic approach to examine how personality characteristics may be associated with nutritional and psychological factors.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Obesity; Overweight; Body Mass Index; Emotional Eating

Detailed Description

Obesity is a multifactorial condition influenced by biological, psychological, behavioral, and social factors. Personality characteristics may play an important role in shaping eating behaviors, emotional regulation, psychological well-being, and spiritual orientation. The Enneagram personality model provides a framework for understanding individual differences in motivation, cognition, and behavior.

The purpose of this observational cross-sectional study was to examine the relationships among Enneagram personality types, body mass index (BMI), eating habits, emotional eating, psychological well-being, and spirituality in adults. Participants are categorized according to BMI as normal weight, overweight, or obese.

Data were collected using a sociodemographic information form, anthropometric measurements, the Enneagram Personality Scale, and validated questionnaires assessing eating habits, emotional eating, psychological well-being, and spirituality.

The findings are expected to contribute to a better understanding of the psychological and behavioral factors associated with body weight status and may support the development of more personalized and holistic approaches to nutrition and health promotion.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 210

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Istanbul
    • Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)
      • Diyetisyenin Mutfağı

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Adults aged 18-65 years categorized into normal weight, overweight, and obesity groups. The study includes 210 participants with balanced sex distribution across BMI categories and aims to investigate the associations among Enneagram personality types, body mass index, eating habits, emotional eating, psychological well-being, and spirituality.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults aged between 18 and 65 years
• Classified according to BMI category:

Normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m²) Overweight (BMI 25.0-29.9 kg/m²) Obesity (BMI ≥30.0 kg/m²)

• Literate and able to understand the questionnaire
• Volunteering to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals with a current psychiatric diagnosis
• Those who have undergone bariatric surgery in the last year
• Pregnant individuals

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

3

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Normal Weight Group; Adults with a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m². Participants completed assessments of Enneagram personality type, eating behaviors, emotional eating, psychological well-being, and spirituality.
Overweight Group; Adults with a body mass index (BMI) between 25.0 and 29.9 kg/m². Participants completed assessments of Enneagram personality type, eating behaviors, emotional eating, psychological well-being, and spirituality.
Obesity Group; Adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m² or higher. Participants completed assessments of Enneagram personality type, eating behaviors, emotional eating, psychological well-being, and spirituality.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Salzburg Emotional Eating Scale (SEES) Total Score	The SEES is a 20-item validated instrument designed to measure changes in food consumption in response to emotions. It consists of four subscales: Happiness, Sadness, Anger, and Anxiety. Each item is scored on a 5-point Likert scale (1-5). Total scores range from 20 to 100. A score of 60 represents unchanged eating behavior; scores above 60 indicate increased food consumption (emotional eating), and scores below 60 indicate decreased food consumption.	At baseline (cross-sectional assessment)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Psychological Well-Being Scale (Flourishing Scale) Total Score	An 8-item scale that describes important aspects of human functioning. Each item is answered on a 1-7 scale. Total scores range from 8 to 56. A high score represents a person who has many psychological resources and strengths	At baseline (cross-sectional assessment)
Spirituality Assessment Scale Total Score	A 27-item instrument comprising 7 subscales. It uses a 5-point Likert scale. Total scores range from 27 to 135. Higher scores indicate a higher level of spirituality	At baseline (cross-sectional assessment)
Survey of Eating Habits Total Score	A 65-item scale with 4 dimensions (prejudices against obesity, positive/negative thoughts about obesity, self-perception, and eating behaviors). It uses a 5-point Likert scale. Total scores range from 65 to 325. The score is used to evaluate the overall eating attitudes and behaviors of the individual	At baseline (cross-sectional assessment)
Body Mass Index (BMI)	Calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters (kg/m2). It is used to categorize participants into normal weight, overweight, and obesity groups.	At baseline (cross-sectional assessment)

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Emotional Eating Score Differences Across BMI Categories	To compare Emotional Eating Scale total scores across BMI categories (normal weight, overweight, obese).	At baseline (single survey administration)
Psychological Well-Being Score Differences Across BMI Categories	To evaluate whether psychological well-being differs among individuals in different BMI categories.	At baseline (single survey administration)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Halime Gamze Eroğlu

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 2, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): April 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 10, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 4, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): December 17, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 10, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 7, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: nutrition; spirituality; psychological well-being; emotional eating; holistic health; eating habits; enneagram; personality types; nutrition psychology; eating psychology
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nutrition Disorders; Overnutrition; Body Weight; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Behavior; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Personal Satisfaction; Behavior, Animal; Overweight; Obesity; Psychological Well-Being; Feeding Behavior; Emotional Eating
• Other Study ID Numbers: OBEZ-ENNEAGRAM-2025

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No