January 1, 1997
View Full PaperPersonality, chronic medical morbidity, and health-related quality of life among older persons.
Key Result
Personality characteristics such as neuroticism, mastery, and self-efficacy explained an additional 4% to >30% of the variance in health-related quality of life beyond medical morbidity and age.
Study Design
Type
Observational (n=5,279)
Structured PICO
Do personality characteristics influence health-related quality of life in older persons with chronic medical morbidity?
P
Population
5,279 community-based older persons
I
Intervention
Personality characteristics (neuroticism, mastery, and self-efficacy)
O
Outcome
Health-related quality of life (HRQL)patient reported
Personality traits such as neuroticism, mastery, and self-efficacy significantly influence reported health-related quality of life in older adults, independent of chronic medical morbidity.
Main Result
Effect estimate: 4% to >30% variance explained
Limitations
- The extent to which this is due to an influence of personality on true versus perceived levels of HRQL is unclear.
Abstract
This article examines the main and moderating effects of 3 personality characteristics on the association between chronic medical morbidity and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in a large (N = 5,279) community-based older sample. Reasonably high unique contributions of neuroticism, mastery, and self-efficacy to HRQL were found. The additional amounts of variance explained beyond and above medical morbidity and age vary from about 4% (bodily pain) to above 30% (mental health). Little empirical evidence was found for the moderating effects of personality. In conclusion, personality characteristics such as neuroticism, mastery, and self-efficacy influence the reported levels of HRQL. The extent to which this is due to an influence of personality on true versus perceived levels of HRQL is unclear.