@article {STEPHAN2023107127, title = {Personality associations with lung function and dyspnea: Evidence from six studies}, journal = {Respiratory Medicine}, volume = {208}, year = {2023}, pages = {107127}, abstract = {Objective The present study examined the association between Five Factor Model personality traits and lung function and dyspnea. Methods Participants were middle aged and older adults aged 34{\textendash}103 years old (N > 25,000) from the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS), the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), the National Health and Aging Trends Survey (NHATS), and the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study graduate (WLSG) and sibling (WLSS) samples. Data on peak expiratory flow (PEF), dyspnea, personality traits, smoking, physical activity, body mass index (BMI), emotional/psychiatric problems, and demographic factors were obtained in each sample. Results A meta-analysis indicated that higher neuroticism was related to lower PEF, higher risk of PEF less than 80\% of predicted value, and higher risk of dyspnea. In contrast, higher extraversion and conscientiousness were associated with higher PEF, lower likelihood of PEF lower than 80\% of the predicted value, and lower risk of dyspnea. Higher openness was related to higher PEF and lower risk of PEF less than 80\%, whereas agreeableness was related to higher PEF and lower risk of dyspnea. Smoking, physical activity, BMI and emotional/psychiatric problems partially accounted for these associations. There was little evidence that lung disease moderated the association between personality and PEF and dyspnea. Conclusions Across cohorts, this study found replicable evidence that personality is associated with lung function and associated symptomatology.}, keywords = {Dyspnea, lung function, Peak expiratory flow, Personality}, issn = {0954-6111}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2023.107127}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R. Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Damaris Aschwanden and Pauline Caille and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {11712, title = {The Association Between Facets of Conscientiousness and Performance-based and Informant-Rated Cognition, Affect, and Activities in Older Adults.}, journal = {Journal of Personality}, volume = {90}, year = {2022}, pages = {121-132}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: To identify facets of Conscientiousness associated with objective cognitive performance, informant-rated cognitive decline, and informant-rated affect and activities implicated in cognitive health.

METHOD: Health and Retirement Study participants (N=2,516) reported on their personality, completed a comprehensive cognitive assessment, and had knowledgeable informants report on their cognition, affect, and activities.

RESULTS: Industriousness and responsibility were associated with better cognitive performance; order was associated with less informant-rated cognitive decline. The facets were also associated with more positive affect, less negative affect, greater engagement in cognitive activities and activities outside the house, and less engagement in passive activities, as rated by a knowledgeable informant. Informant-rated engagement in cognitive activities mediated the association between self-reported responsibility and objective cognitive performance.

CONCLUSIONS: Tendencies toward achievement and accountability were associated with healthier cognitive performance and daily profiles that support cognitive health, whereas organization was associated with cognition as reported by a knowledgeable informant. The differential pattern of correlates is informative for the theoretical processes that link distinct facets of Conscientiousness to healthier cognitive aging.

}, keywords = {attention, cognitive function, Conscientiousness, Facets, Five factor model, Memory}, issn = {1467-6494}, doi = {10.1111/jopy.12657}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Damaris Aschwanden and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {11386, title = {The Association Between Five Factor Model Personality Traits and Verbal and Numeric Reasoning.}, journal = {Neuropsychology, Development, and Cognition. Section B, Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition}, volume = {29}, year = {2022}, pages = {297-317}, abstract = {

Five-factor model (FFM) personality traits are related to basic cognitive functions and risk of cognitive impairment in late life. The present study addresses whether FFM traits are also associated with a more complex cognitive function, reasoning, across adulthood. We used seven samples to examine the relation between personality and verbal (total =~39,177) and numeric (total =~76,388) reasoning. A meta-analysis indicated higher Neuroticism was associated modestly with worse performance on verbal and numeric reasoning tasks. Openness was associated with better verbal reasoning and was unrelated to numeric reasoning. Surprisingly, Extraversion was associated modestly with worse performance in both domains, and Conscientiousness was essentially unrelated to reasoning. Agreeableness was unrelated to reasoning. There was significant heterogeneity across the samples but only limited evidence for moderation by age or sex. Consistent with other cognitive domains, the results suggested that Neuroticism is related to worse performance globally, whereas Openness tends to be associated with better verbal abilities. Among the unexpected findings was the better reasoning of introverts. The pattern also suggests that the common positive association between Conscientiousness and cognition does not extend to reasoning and suggests that Conscientiousness may support healthier cognitive aging through basic cognitive functions rather than through complex functions like reasoning.

}, keywords = {meta-analysis, numeric reasoning, Personality Traits, Reasoning, verbal abilities}, issn = {1744-4128}, doi = {10.1080/13825585.2021.1872481}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Martina Luchetti and Jason E Strickhouser and Damaris Aschwanden and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {11625, title = {Cognitive Impairment and the Trajectory of Loneliness in Older Adulthood: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {Journal of Aging and Health}, volume = {34}, year = {2022}, pages = {3-13}, abstract = {

To examine whether the trajectory of facets of loneliness-emotional and social-varied by cognitive impairment status in older adulthood. Data came from the Health and Retirement Study 2008-2018 waves ( = 15,352). Cognitive impairment was assessed using standard cutoffs for cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND) and dementia. The 11-item UCLA loneliness scale was used to measure emotional and social loneliness. Using multilevel modeling, we found that CIND and dementia status were associated with higher overall, emotional, and social loneliness, controlling for physical health, social contact, and depressive symptoms. The trajectory of loneliness did not vary by cognitive status. There were modest variations by sociodemographic factors. Persons with CIND and dementia experience heightened emotional and social loneliness, but cognitive impairment does not contribute to the worsening of loneliness. Older adults{\textquoteright} social integration may be maintained early in cognitive impairment.

}, keywords = {cognitive impairment, cognitive impairment no dementia, Dementia, Loneliness}, issn = {1552-6887}, doi = {10.1177/08982643211019500}, author = {Lee, Ji Hyun and Martina Luchetti and Damaris Aschwanden and Sesker, Amanda A and Jason E Strickhouser and Antonio Terracciano and Angelina R Sutin} } @article {STEPHAN2022, title = {Facets of conscientiousness and motoric cognitive risk syndrome}, journal = {Journal of Psychiatric Research}, volume = {151}, year = {2022}, pages = {73-77}, abstract = {Conscientiousness is related to a lower risk of motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR), a pre-dementia syndrome characterized by slow gait speed and cognitive complaints. The present study examines which facets of conscientiousness are related to concurrent and incident MCR. Participants were dementia-free older adults aged 65{\textendash}99 years (N = 6001) from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Baseline data on conscientiousness facets and MCR (cognitive complaints and gait speed) were collected in 2008/2010, along with the covariates: demographic factors, cognition, physical activity, disease burden, depressive symptoms, and body mass index (BMI). MCR was assessed again in 2012/2014 and 2016/2018. Controlling for demographic factors, higher industriousness was related to a nearly 30\% lower likelihood of concurrent MCR (Odds Ratio [OR] = 0.75, 95\%CI: 0.67{\textendash}0.85, p < .001) and to about 60\% reduced risk of incident MCR (Hazard ratio [HR] = 0.63, 95\%CI: 0.56{\textendash}0.71, p < .001). Self-control, order, and responsibility were also associated with a lower likelihood of concurrent (OR range: 0.82{\textendash}0.88) and incident (HR range: 0.72{\textendash}0.82) MCR. Traditionalism (HR = 0.84, 95\%CI: 0.75{\textendash}0.93, p < .01) and virtue (HR = 0.84, 95\%CI: 0.75{\textendash}0.93, p < .01) were related to a lower risk of incident MCR. Cognition, physical activity, disease burden, depressive symptoms, and BMI partially accounted for these associations. Industriousness is the facet of conscientiousness with the strongest association with risk of MCR. This facet could be targeted in interventions to reduce MCR and, ultimately, dementia.}, keywords = {cognitive complaint, Conscientiousness, motoric cognitive risk, walking speed}, issn = {0022-3956}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.03.050}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R. Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Damaris Aschwanden and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {11832, title = {Pathways from early life SES to dementia risk in old age: The role of personality.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology, Series B}, volume = {77}, year = {2022}, pages = {850-859}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the association between childhood socioeconomic status (cSES) and risk of cognitive impairment in older adulthood, and whether Five Factor Model personality traits mediated this association.

METHODS: A sample of 9,995 participants (mean age = 67.01 years) from the Health and Retirement Study were followed every two years from 2006 to 2018. cSES was tested as a predictor of risk of dementia and risk of cognitive impairment not dementia (CIND). Personality was tested as a mediator of these associations. Models were adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity, race, education, and baseline year.

RESULTS: Although effect sizes were modest, results indicated that lower cSES was associated with higher risk of dementia (HR=0.88, [0.775, 0.985]). Higher cSES was also associated with higher Conscientiousness and lower Neuroticism. Conscientiousness and Neuroticism each accounted for 7.9\% of the total effect of cSES on dementia. Results were similar for CIND.

CONCLUSIONS: Early childhood socioeconomic factors may contribute to cognitive impairment in older adulthood, an association mediated, in part, through adult personality traits.

}, keywords = {CIND, Conscientiousness, cSES, Dementia, Neuroticism}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbab159}, author = {Sesker, Amanda A and O{\textquoteright}S{\'u}illeabh{\'a}in, P{\'a}raic S and Lee, Ji Hyun and Damaris Aschwanden and Martina Luchetti and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano and Angelina R Sutin} } @article {12268, title = {Personality and change in perceived control during the acute stage of the coronavirus pandemic.}, journal = {Personality and Individual Differences}, volume = {192}, year = {2022}, pages = {111607}, abstract = {

Lower perceived control (PC) is related to maladaptive psychological responses to stressful events, yet it is unclear whether longer-term situations are associated with PC change over time. This study examined PC change during the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and whether trajectories varied by age and personality. Personality was assessed in 2455 U.S. adults (18-100~years) from an online study conducted January-February 2020. PC was assessed across three follow-ups (March-July 2020). Latent growth curves modeled PC change. In controlled models, PC decreased (β~=~-0.107, ~=~.005). Older adults had higher PC than younger adults (β~=~0.012, ~=~.001), and experienced less PC decline (β~=~0.012, ~<~.001). All personality traits but Openness were related to PC at baseline (βs ranged from -0.912 to 0.543, ps~<~.001). Conscientiousness (β~=~0.155, ~=~.002), Extraversion (β~=~0.128, ~=~.008), and Agreeableness (β~=~0.099, ~=~.044) were associated with less PC decline. Employment (β~=~0.160, ~=~.022), health (β~=~0.133, ~=~.002), and disease burden (β~=~-0.056, ~=~.014) were also associated with PC change. These results were largely driven by the financial dimension of PC. This study provides evidence for PC change during the COVID-19 pandemic and identifies sociodemographic, personality, and health moderators of PC trajectory.

}, keywords = {COVID-19, perceived control, Personality Traits}, issn = {0191-8869}, doi = {10.1016/j.paid.2022.111607}, author = {Sesker, Amanda A and Lee, Ji Hyun and Luchetti, Martina and Damaris Aschwanden and Stephan, Yannick and Terracciano, Antonio and Sutin, Angelina R} } @article {12227, title = {Sense of Purpose in Life and Markers of Hearing Function: Replicated Associations across Two Longitudinal Cohorts.}, journal = {Gerontology}, volume = {68}, year = {2022}, pages = {943-950}, abstract = {

INTRODUCTION: A sense of purpose in life is a psychological resource that is associated with healthier outcomes. The present research examines whether a greater sense of purpose in life is associated with subjective and objective markers of hearing health and whether hearing acuity contributes to the association between purpose and episodic memory. We sought to evaluate whether these associations were replicable across 2 independent samples.

METHODS: Participants in the Health and Retirement Study (N = 14,291) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (N = 8,844) reported on their purpose in life and perceived hearing quality at baseline. Hearing acuity was measured using an audiometer 2-4 years later, and episodic memory was measured at baseline and 6-8 years later.

RESULTS: In both samples, higher purpose in life was associated with better hearing quality measured concurrently, lower risk of either subjective or objective hearing impairment, and hearing acuity accounted for some of the longitudinal relation between sense of purpose and better episodic memory.

DISCUSSION: Across samples, measures, and analytical approaches, the present research indicates replicable associations between sense of purpose in life and hearing health. It further indicates that hearing may be one factor that associates purpose with better episodic memory.

}, keywords = {Episodic Memory, hearing acuity, Hearing loss, Replication, Sense of purpose}, issn = {1423-0003}, doi = {10.1159/000521257}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Damaris Aschwanden and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {11693, title = {Self-Rated Health and Incident Dementia over Two Decades: Replication Across Two Cohorts}, journal = {Journal of Psychiatric Research}, volume = {143}, year = {2021}, pages = {462-466}, abstract = {This prospective study examined the association between self-rated health and incident dementia in two large cohorts of middle-aged and older adults. Participants were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, N= 13,839, Mean Age= 64.32, SD= 9.04) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA, N=4649, Mean Age = 64.44, SD= 9.97). Self-rated health and covariates were assessed at baseline in 1998 and 2002, and cognitive status was tracked for up to 21 years in HRS and 17 years in ELSA, respectively. Controlling for demographic factors, poorer self-rated health was associated with higher risk of incident dementia in HRS (HR: 1.18, 95\%CI: 1.12-1.24, p<.001) and ELSA (HR: 1.38, 95\%CI: 1.23-1.55, p<.001). These associations remained significant when diabetes, hypertension, smoking, physical inactivity, depressive symptoms, personality, and polygenic risk for Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s Disease were included as additional covariates or when cases occurring within the first ten years of follow-up were excluded from the analyses. There was no replicable evidence that age, sex, education, race or ethnicity moderated the association. Self-rated health is a long-term, replicable predictor of incident dementia that is independent of genetic, clinical, and behavioral risk factors.}, keywords = {Dementia, longitudinal, Risk Factors, Self-rated health}, isbn = {0022-3956}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.06.036}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Damaris Aschwanden and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {STEPHAN2021110616, title = {Subjective age and multiple cognitive domains in two longitudinal samples}, journal = {Journal of Psychosomatic Research}, volume = {150}, year = {2021}, pages = {110616}, abstract = {Objective Subjective age is consistently related to memory performance and global cognitive function among older adults. The present study examines whether subjective age is prospectively related to specific domains of cognitive function. Method Participants were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, N{\^A} ={\^A} 2549, Mean Age{\^A} ={\^A} 69.66, SD{\^A} ={\^A} 7.36) and the Midlife in the United States Survey (MIDUS, N{\^A} ={\^A} 2499, Mean Age{\^A} ={\^A} 46.24, SD{\^A} ={\^A} 11.25). In both samples, subjective age, depressive symptoms, chronic conditions, and demographic factors were assessed at baseline. Four domains of cognition were assessed 8{\^A} years later in the HRS and almost 20{\^A} years later in the MIDUS: episodic memory, speed-attention-executive, verbal fluency, and numeric reasoning. HRS also assessed visuospatial ability. Results Regression analysis revealed that an older subjective age was related to worse performance in the domains of episodic memory and speed-attention-executive in both samples. The effect size for the difference between a younger and an older subjective age was d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.14 (MIDUS) and d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.24 (HRS) for episodic memory and d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.25 (MIDUS) and d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.33 (HRS) for speed-attention-executive. Feeling older was related to lower verbal fluency in HRS (d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.30) but not in MIDUS, whereas no association was found with numeric reasoning in either sample. An older subjective age was related to lower visuospatial ability in HRS (d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.25). Conclusion Subjective age is prospectively related to performance in different cognitive domains. The associations between subjective age and both episodic memory and speed-attention-executive functions were replicable and robust over up to 20{\^A} years of follow-up.}, keywords = {Adulthood, Cognition, Executive function, Memory, numeric reasoning, Subjective age, verbal fluency, Visuospatial ability}, issn = {0022-3999}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpsychores.2021.110616}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Damaris Aschwanden and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {STEPHAN2021104527, title = {Subjective Age and Verbal Fluency among Middle Aged and Older Adults: A Meta-Analysis of Five Cohorts}, journal = {Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics}, volume = {97}, year = {2021}, pages = {104527}, abstract = {Objectives This study aimed to examine the relation between subjective age and verbal fluency in five large samples of older adults to advance knowledge on the role of subjective age in a complex cognitive function that is an intermediate marker of cognitive impairment and dementia risk. Methods Participants (N > 27,000), aged 32 to 99 years old, predominantly white, were from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Graduate (WLSG) and Siblings (WLSS) samples, the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS), and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). They provided complete data on subjective age, demographic factors and verbal fluency. Estimates from each sample were combined in a meta-analysis. Results Across each of the five samples and in the meta-analysis, an older subjective age was related to lower performance on the verbal fluency task. This association was independent of chronological age and was not moderated by age, sex, nor education. The difference in fluency between individuals with an older and younger subjective age ranged from d= .09 to d= .37 across the five samples. Conclusions This study found replicable evidence for an association between an older subjective age and lower verbal fluency, extending knowledge about an intermediate marker of cognitive function.}, keywords = {Adulthood, ELSA, Sister studies, Subjective age, verbal fluency}, issn = {0167-4943}, doi = {10.1016/j.archger.2021.104527}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Damaris Aschwanden and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {11023, title = {Is Healthy Neuroticism Associated with Health Behaviors? A Coordinated Integrative Data Analysis}, journal = {Collabra: Psychology}, volume = {6}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Current literature suggests that neuroticism is positively associated with maladaptive life choices, likelihood of disease, and mortality. However, recent research has identified circumstances under which neuroticism is associated with positive outcomes. The current project examined whether {\textquotedblleft}healthy neuroticism{\textquotedblright}, defined as the interaction of neuroticism and conscientiousness, was associated with the following health behaviors: smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity. Using a pre-registered multi-study coordinated integrative data analysis (IDA) approach, we investigated whether {\textquotedblleft}healthy neuroticism{\textquotedblright} predicted the odds of engaging in each of the aforementioned activities. Each study estimated identical models, using the same covariates and data transformations, enabling optimal comparability of results. These results were then meta-analyzed in order to estimate an average (N-weighted) effect and to ascertain the extent of heterogeneity in the effects. Overall, these results suggest that neuroticism alone was not related to health behaviors, while individuals higher in conscientiousness were less likely to be smokers or drinkers, and more likely to engage in physical activity. In terms of the healthy neuroticism interaction of neuroticism and conscientiousness, significant interactions for smoking and physical activity suggest that the association between neuroticism and health behaviors was smaller among those high in conscientiousness. These findings lend credence to the idea that healthy neuroticism may be linked to certain health behaviors and that these effects are generalizable across several heterogeneous samples.}, keywords = {Coordinated IDA, Health behaviors, Healthy Neuroticism}, doi = {http://doi.org/10.1525/collabra.266}, author = {Graham, Eileen and Sara J Weston and Nicholas A. Turiano and Damaris Aschwanden and Booth, Tom and Harrison, Fleur and James, Byran and Nathan A Lewis and Makkar, Steven and Mueller, Swantje and Wisniewski, Kristi and Yoneda, Tomiko and Zhaoyang, Ruixue and Avron Spiro III and Willis, Sherry and K. Warner Schaie and Sliwinski, Martin and Lipton, Richard and Katz, Mindy and Ian J Deary and Elizabeth Zelinski and David A Bennett and Sachdev, P S and Brodaty, H and Troller, Julian and Ames, David and Margaret J Wright and Denis Gerstorf and Allemand, Mathias and Drewelies, Johanna and Wagner, Gert G and Muniz-Terrera, Graciela and Andrea M Piccinin and Scott M Hofer and Daniel K. Mroczek} } @article {Aschwanden2020717, title = {Predicting Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: A Machine Learning Approach}, journal = {Journal of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease : JAD}, volume = {75}, year = {2020}, pages = {717-728}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Efforts to identify important risk factors for cognitive impairment and dementia have to date mostly relied on meta-analytic strategies. A comprehensive empirical evaluation of these risk factors within a single study is currently lacking. OBJECTIVE: We used a combined methodology of machine learning and semi-parametric survival analysis to estimate the relative importance of 52 predictors in forecasting cognitive impairment and dementia in a large, population-representative sample of older adults. METHODS: Participants from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 9,979; aged 50-98 years) were followed for up to 10 years (M = 6.85 for cognitive impairment; M = 7.67 for dementia). Using a split-sample methodology, we first estimated the relative importance of predictors using machine learning (random forest survival analysis), and we then used semi-parametric survival analysis (Cox proportional hazards) to estimate effect sizes for the most important variables. RESULTS: African Americans and individuals who scored high on emotional distress were at relatively highest risk for developing cognitive impairment and dementia. Sociodemographic (lower education, Hispanic ethnicity) and health variables (worse subjective health, increasing BMI) were comparatively strong predictors for cognitive impairment. Cardiovascular factors (e.g., smoking, physical inactivity) and polygenic scores (with and without APOEɛ4) appeared less important than expected. Post-hoc sensitivity analyses underscored the robustness of these results. CONCLUSIONS: Higher-order factors (e.g., emotional distress, subjective health), which reflect complex interactions between various aspects of an individual, were more important than narrowly defined factors (e.g., clinical and behavioral indicators) when evaluated concurrently to predict cognitive impairment and dementia.}, keywords = {Aging, cognitive impairment, Cox proportional hazard survival analysis, Dementia, Machine learning, Protective factors, random forest survival analysis, Risk Factors}, issn = {18758908}, doi = {10.3233/JAD-190967}, author = {Damaris Aschwanden and Aichele, S. and Ghisletta, P. and Antonio Terracciano and Kliegel, M. and Angelina R Sutin and Justin Brown and Allemand, M.} } @article {10044, title = {Evaluations of a previous day as a pathway between personality and healthy cognitive aging}, journal = {Journal of Aging and Health}, year = {2019}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between Five-Factor Model personality traits and how individuals evaluate a recent day in their lives (yesterday) and whether these evaluations mediate personality and cognitive function over time.

METHODS: Participants were a subsample from the Health and Retirement Study who completed personality measures in 2008/2010, the day evaluation in 2011, and cognitive tasks in 2012 ( N = 3,454).

RESULTS: Lower Neuroticism and Higher Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness were associated with a more engaging day, fewer negative feelings, better subjective health, and less time spent alone. Active engagement and subjective health were associated with cognitive function and mediated the prospective associations between Neuroticism, Openness, and Conscientiousness and cognitive function.

DISCUSSION: Personality is associated with how individuals evaluated their previous day, which contributes to cognition over time. The present research contributes to a mechanistic model that aims to identify pathways through which personality contributes to cognitive aging.

}, keywords = {Cognition \& Reasoning, Personality, Self Report}, issn = {1552-6887}, doi = {10.1177/0898264319843451}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Damaris Aschwanden and Martina Luchetti and Jason E Strickhouser and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {10139, title = {Personality traits and preventive cancer screenings in the Health Retirement Study.}, journal = {Preventative Med}, volume = {126}, year = {2019}, abstract = {The Five-Factor model of personality has been associated with a wide range of health behaviors and health outcomes. However, few studies have examined whether personality traits are related to cancer screening in older adults. The present study investigated the cross-sectional associations between personality traits and the probability of obtaining a recent preventive screening for breast, cervical, prostate, and colorectal cancer. Participants from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 14,394, M = 68.14 years, range = 50-102 years, 58.6\% female) completed a personality inventory and reported on cancer screenings in the 2010-2012 assessment. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the data, including age, race, ethnicity, gender, education, income, and wealth as covariates. Higher conscientiousness was associated with a higher likelihood of obtaining breast, cervical, and prostate screening. Higher extraversion was related to higher odds of breast, cervical, and colorectal screening. Higher neuroticism was linked to higher odds of colorectal screening, and conscientiousness moderated the link between neuroticism and cervical screening. These associations were significant in models that accounted for demographic and socioeconomic factors. The effect sizes were in the range of a 10-20\% higher likelihood of cancer screening for 1 SD difference in personality. The present findings suggest that conscientiousness and extraversion were related to preventive cancer screenings, whereas neuroticism, openness and agreeableness were largely unrelated to the likelihood of such screenings. If these results are further replicated, health policy makers may consider personality traits when planning and implementing screening recommendations to improve preventive medicine.}, keywords = {Cancer screenings, Personality, Preventative Care}, issn = {1096-0260}, doi = {10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.105763}, author = {Damaris Aschwanden and Mary A Gerend and Martina Luchetti and Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Antonio Terracciano} }