Personality Dispositions and Health-related Habits and Attitudes: a Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

We examined the relations between the Big-Five personality dimensions, Health Locus of Control, and health-related behaviours and attitudes. We focused on the question of potential advantages of the five-factor model as an integrated framework for personality and health research. Fifteen health habits and attitudes (including smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise, a variety of dietary practices, current stressors, and attitudes toward smoking and alcohol consumption) were used to operationalize the subjects' lifestyle. The study involved 1184 students from twelve different university schools. Although our results resembled those of other studies, we found that Conscientiousness and Agreeableness were particularly noteworthy as predictors of health behaviours and cognitive attitudes and tendencies. Our results also suggest that both factors should be included as explanatory constructs in personality± disease models that may indirectly affect disease proneness via unhealthy behaviours.

Who Looks Forward to Better Health? Personality Factors and Future Self-Rated Health in the Context of Chronic Illness

“…Both theory and research suggests that those high on Agreeableness engage in more health promoting behaviors [27,21], which should figure prominently into subjective assessments of both current and future health [1]. Indeed, Ingledew and Brunning [12] found evidence that Agreeableness was linked to positive expectations for future health via its association with positive health behaviors.…”

“…In light of the inconsistent findings from previous research on personality and FSRH, previous research on how personality may contribute to SRH and health behaviors was used to guide the hypotheses. Collectively this research indicates that high Conscientiousness and Extraversion, and low Neuroticism are consistently associated with SRH, whereas Agreeableness and Openness have shown less consistent links to SRH (see Löckenhoff et al for a review [24] Conscientiousness, with its emphasis on self-discipline and organization, and Agreeableness, which features cooperation with others, reflect a general respect for social convention that is conducive to engaging in health-promoting behaviours [21,12,27,22], and fewer health risky behaviors [28,29]. In contrast, Neuroticism is associated with engaging in health risky behaviors [21,28], and with fewer health promoting behaviors [21,12].…”

“I'll look after my health, later”: an investigation of procrastination and health

“…Research suggests that both increased harmful health practices and fewer positive health behaviors are associated with this major personality trait (Booth-Kewley & Vickers, 1994;Lemos-Giraldez & Fidalgo-Aliste, 1997;Mechanic & Cleary, 1980;Vingerhoets, Croom, Jeninga, & Menges, 1990).…”

Big Five traits, affect balance and health behaviors: A self-regulation resource perspective

“…The Big Five trait taxonomy (Costa & McCrae, 1985;John & Srivastava, 1999) is one commonly used model for understanding how personality relates to health behaviors, with considerable evidence supporting the role of three particular personality factors. Both Conscientiousness and Agreeableness have been linked to the practice of health promoting behaviors (Booth-Kewley & Vickers, 1994;Hampson, Goldberg, Vogt, & Dubanoski, 2007;Ingledew & Brunning, 1999;Lemos-Giraldez & Fidalgo-Aliste, 1997), whereas Neuroticism is associated with fewer health promoting behaviors (Booth-Kewley & Vickers, 1994;Ingledew & Brunning, 1999). However, the reasons proposed for these relations have focused more on the qualities associated with these traits than on the underlying self-regulation processes that may be involved.…”