Key result
Over a 10-year span, both baseline personality trait levels and longitudinal changes in traits such as conscientiousness and extraversion predicted self-rated health and self-reported blood pressure.
Why the study?
Do personality trait levels and changes predict health outcomes (self-rated physical health, self-reported blood pressure, and days limited) in American adults?
Cohort (n=3,990)
Yes
Do personality trait levels and changes predict health outcomes (self-rated physical health, self-reported blood pressure, and days limited) in American adults?
Both baseline personality trait levels and longitudinal changes in personality traits are significant predictors of long-term health outcomes.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Personality traits may inform health risk assessment; leaves open causal effects and practice changes.
OBJECTIVES: Personality traits predict numerous health outcomes, but previous studies have rarely used personality change to predict health. METHODS: The current investigation utilized a large national sample of 3,990 participants from the Midlife in the U.S. study (MIDUS) to examine if both personality trait level and personality change longitudinally predict 3 different health outcomes (i.e., self-rated physical health, self-reported blood pressure, and number of days limited at work or home due to physical health reasons) over a 10-year span. RESULTS: Each of the Big Five traits, except openness, predicted self-rated health. Change in agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extraversion also predicted self-rated health. Trait levels of conscientiousness and neuroticism level predicted self-reported blood pressure. All trait levels except agreeableness predicted number of work days limited. Only change in conscientiousness predicted the number of work days limited. DISCUSSION: Findings demonstrate that a full understanding of the link between personality and health requires consideration of trait change as well as trait level.
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Turiano et al. (2011) conducted a cohort in General health (n=3,990). Personality trait level and change was evaluated on Self-rated physical health, self-reported blood pressure, and number of days limited at work or home due to physical health reasons. Over a 10-year span, both baseline personality trait levels and longitudinal changes in traits such as conscientiousness and extraversion predicted self-rated health and self-reported blood pressure.
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