Debora Rizzuto1, Enrico Mossello2, Laura Fratiglioni3, Giola Santoni4, Hui-Xin Wang5. 1. Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: debora.rizzuto@ki.se. 2. Research Unit of Medicine of Aging, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy. 3. Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Stockholm Gerontology Research Center, Stockholm, Sweden. 4. Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. 5. Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: We intended to assess the relationship between personality and survival in an older population and to explore the role of lifestyle behaviors and health status as potential mediators. DESIGN: Population-based cohort study. SETTING: Swedish National Study of Aging and Care in Kungsholmen, Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: 2,298 adults aged 60 or more years, without dementia or depression, followed for 11 years. MEASUREMENTS: Personality (extraversion, neuroticism, and openness) was assessed with a shortened version of the NEO-Five Factor Inventory. We tested whether personality affected mortality and examined the potential mediating effect of health status (body mass index, number of chronic diseases, impairment in instrumental activities of daily living, and C-reactive protein) and lifestyle behaviors (leisure activities, social network, smoking, and alcohol consumption). RESULTS: Over 11 years of follow-up, higher levels of extraversion were associated with a 14% reduction in mortality. Examination of different combinations of personality traits showed that independent of levels of neuroticism and openness, high extraversion were associated with up to 65% lower mortality. Decomposing the effect of extraversion on mortality, we found that the majority (44%) of the beneficial effect was mediated by healthy lifestyle behaviors. Health status accounted for 5% of the association. CONCLUSIONS: Extroverted people, who are characterized by higher optimism and high self-efficacy, are prone to healthier behaviors and better health, which may result in longer survival. These results highlight the importance of a healthy lifestyle in survival.
OBJECTIVE: We intended to assess the relationship between personality and survival in an older population and to explore the role of lifestyle behaviors and health status as potential mediators. DESIGN: Population-based cohort study. SETTING: Swedish National Study of Aging and Care in Kungsholmen, Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: 2,298 adults aged 60 or more years, without dementia or depression, followed for 11 years. MEASUREMENTS: Personality (extraversion, neuroticism, and openness) was assessed with a shortened version of the NEO-Five Factor Inventory. We tested whether personality affected mortality and examined the potential mediating effect of health status (body mass index, number of chronic diseases, impairment in instrumental activities of daily living, and C-reactive protein) and lifestyle behaviors (leisure activities, social network, smoking, and alcohol consumption). RESULTS: Over 11 years of follow-up, higher levels of extraversion were associated with a 14% reduction in mortality. Examination of different combinations of personality traits showed that independent of levels of neuroticism and openness, high extraversion were associated with up to 65% lower mortality. Decomposing the effect of extraversion on mortality, we found that the majority (44%) of the beneficial effect was mediated by healthy lifestyle behaviors. Health status accounted for 5% of the association. CONCLUSIONS: Extroverted people, who are characterized by higher optimism and high self-efficacy, are prone to healthier behaviors and better health, which may result in longer survival. These results highlight the importance of a healthy lifestyle in survival.
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