Mechanisms of health: Education and health-related behaviours partially mediate the relationship between conscientiousness and self-reported physical health

Lodi‐Smith, Jennifer; Jackson, Joshua J.; Bogg, Tim; Walton, Kate E.; Wood, Dustin; Harms, Peter D.; Roberts, Brent W.

doi:10.1080/08870440902736964

Cited by 172 publications

(110 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…In our analysis, smoking, alcohol/substance misuse, and hypertension and hypercholesterolemia (biological consequences of poor diet and exercise) accounted for trivial portions of the observed effect, consistent with prior findings that health behaviors account for only a modest portion of the association between conscientiousness and health outcomes (39, 40). One suggestion is that conscientiousness people may enjoy better immune functioning (41), perhaps because their approach to life reduces stress (42, 42).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 89%

Personality and Physician-Assessed Illness Burden in Older Primary Care Patients Over 4 Years

Chapman

Roberts

Lyness

et al. 2013

The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry

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Background Personality traits have been associated with physician-rated illness burden cross-sectionally, but longitudinal associations between personality and objective medical morbidity remain unclear. Purpose To examine associations between personality and physician-rated illness burden 4 years prospectively in older primary care patients. Method At baseline, patients (average age = 75, SD = 6.6, 62% female) completed the NEO-Five Factor Inventory. At baseline and 4 yearly follow-ups, a physician completed the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale based on medical records. Results Linear mixed effects models revealed that higher neuroticism and lower conscientiousness predicted worse average illness burden longitudinally. Relatively disagreeable persons (25th percentile) accumulated morbidity at a 33% faster rate than agreeable (75th percentile) peers. At the final follow-up, a person at the 75th percentile of neuroticism and the 25th percentile of conscientiousness and agreeableness showed morbidity comparable to a peer of average personality but 10 years older. An individual at the 25th percentile of neuroticism and 75th percentile of conscientiousness and agreeableness showed end-point illness burden comparable to a peer of average personality but 10 years younger. 21% of the morbidity associated with neuroticism was explained by total cholesterol. History of hypertension, smoking, alcohol/drug abuse, and affective symptoms of depression each explained 10% or less of the other observed personality effects. Conclusion Personality plays a non-trivial role in healthy aging among older persons. Brief personality assessment may identify at-risk older persons for closer monitoring, enhance the accuracy of medical prognosis, and provide clues for clinical interventions to promote better health.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 89%

Personality and Physician-Assessed Illness Burden in Older Primary Care Patients Over 4 Years

Chapman

Roberts

Lyness

et al. 2013

The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry

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“…Lodi-Smith et al (2010) reported that, across two cross-sectional samples, C predicted self-rated health in adulthood by way of education and preventive behaviors (e.g., regular medical examinations and obeying traffic rules). These mediational patterns were observed controlling for a path from education to preventive behaviors, suggesting that the C-education-health pathway includes preventive or risky behaviors, but other mechanisms as well.…”

Section: Socioeconomic Attainmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conscientiousness, health, and aging: The Life Course of Personality Model.

Shanahan¹,

Hill²,

Roberts³

et al. 2014

Developmental Psychology

Self Cite

188

171

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The Conscientiousness (C) of the self and significant others influences health by way of mediational chains involving socioeconomic attainment, the avoidance and neutralization of stressors, the promotion of health behaviors and the minimization of risk behaviors, and the management of symptoms and diseases. Yet, meta-analyses reveal that these associations are moderated by factors that are not well understood. We propose the Life Course of Personality Model (LCP Model), which comprises a series of hypotheses that suggest how such mediational chains are subject to 2 sources of contingency. First, the mechanisms by which C translates into health and the avoidance of risk change from early childhood to late adulthood, involving processes that are specific to phases of the life course; also, however, C influences health by way of continuous processes extending over many decades of life. Second, C may be more consequential in some social contexts than in others, and when accompanied by some constellations of personality characteristics than by others. That is, the mediational processes by which C translates into health and the avoidance of disease are likely moderated by timing, social context (including the C of others), and other aspects of the individual's personality. We consider methodological implications of the LCP Model.

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“…Personality traits predict longevity across many decades (Jackson et al, 2015) and prospectively predict disease onset (Jokela et al, 2013;Weston, Hill & Jackson, 2014). The intervening mechanisms linking personality to these outcomes are largely health behaviors and stress (Hampson et al, 2015;Lodi-Smith et al, 2010).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%