The Individual Differences Of Disgust Sensitivity And Its Impact On Body Mass Index:Mediated By Inhibitory Control

Disgust is one of the basic emotion of human being. In early days, researchers believe that the function of disgust is to protect ourselves from harmful stimuli. Disgust sensitivity refers to individuals’ trait propensity to experience disgust. Numerous studies show that disgust sensitivity plays an important role in eating behavior in patients with eating disorders, and often associated with inhibition control. But there is no definite conclusion about the influence of disgust on obesity and no related studies explore the role of inhibitory control between the two above, and also no specific questionnaires to measure disgust sensitivity precisely in China. This study aimed to develop the Chinese version of Disgust Sensitivity Scale-Revised(DS-RC) that was fit for Chinese undergraduate students, and to clear the individual differences of disgust sensitivity of Chinese undergraduates and the effect of inhibitory control on the relationship between disgust sensitivity and Body Mass Index(BMI).In study 1, we reveled the individual differences of 590 Chinese undergraduates and the correlation between disgust sensitivity and BMI. We found that there were good reliability and validity on DS-RC which was fit for Chinese undergraduate students; and there were no grade difference and origin difference of undergraduate students’ disgust sensitivity. On the contrary, gender and BMI showed significantly influences on the disgust sensitivity. The disgust sensitivity of the female was significantly higher than the male’s. Overweight students(BMI>24) showed significantly lower disgust sensitivity than normal(18<BMI<24) and thin(BMI<18) students. Besides, the significant correlation between disgust sensitivity and BMI confirmed the previous study.In study 2, we discussed the relationship between disgust sensitivity and inhibitory control by Stop Signal Task and evaluating the food-intake level of delicious food pictures. We found that disgust sensitivity scores were marginally negative correlated with the index of inhibitory control. And females with lower disgust sensitivity had higher desire for the food pictures.In study 3, we investigated the mediating effect of inhibitory control on the relationship between disgust sensitivity and BMI by using the food related Stop Signal Task(SST). We found that disgust sensitivity significantly negative correlated with BMI, disgust sensitivity significantly positive correlated with inhibitory control, and BMI significantly negative correlated with inhibitory control. Regression analysis showed that disgust sensitivity significantly predict the degree of obesity, but we found no effect any more once adding the inhibitory control into regression equation. At the same time, inhibitory control could significantly predict the degree of obesity. These findings indicated that inhibitory control shows totally mediating effect on the relationship between disgust sensitivity and the degree of obesity.In conclusion, the findings indicate that:(1) The Disgust Sensitivity ScaleRevised Chinese could measure the disgust sensitivity of Chinese undergraduate students with great accuracy.(2) To justify individual difference of disgust sensitivity, grade and birth place, show no significant influence on undergraduate students’ disgust sensitivity, but gender and the degree of obesity are opposite.(3) Disgust sensitivity could significantly predict the degree of obesity, inhibitory control shows totally mediating effect on the relationship between disgust sensitivity and the degree of obesity.This study investigated the differences of disgust sensitivity by the Chinese version of Disgust Sensitivity Scale-Revised(DS-RC) and clarified the mediating effect of inhibitory control on the relationship between disgust sensitivity and BMI, expanding the study field of disgust and is of important scientific value for its clinical application on obesity.