%0 Journal Article %J Respiratory Medicine %D 2023 %T Personality associations with lung function and dyspnea: Evidence from six studies %A Yannick Stephan %A Angelina R. Sutin %A Martina Luchetti %A Damaris Aschwanden %A Pauline Caille %A Antonio Terracciano %K Dyspnea %K lung function %K Peak expiratory flow %K Personality %X 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 34–103 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. %B Respiratory Medicine %V 208 %P 107127 %G eng %R https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2023.107127 %0 Journal Article %J Neuropsychology, Development, and Cognition. Section B, Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition %D 2022 %T The Association Between Five Factor Model Personality Traits and Verbal and Numeric Reasoning. %A Angelina R Sutin %A Yannick Stephan %A Martina Luchetti %A Jason E Strickhouser %A Damaris Aschwanden %A Antonio Terracciano %K meta-analysis %K numeric reasoning %K Personality Traits %K Reasoning %K verbal abilities %X

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.

%B Neuropsychology, Development, and Cognition. Section B, Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition %V 29 %P 297-317 %G eng %N 2 %R 10.1080/13825585.2021.1872481 %0 Journal Article %J Journal of Aging and Health %D 2022 %T Cognitive Impairment and the Trajectory of Loneliness in Older Adulthood: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study. %A Lee, Ji Hyun %A Martina Luchetti %A Damaris Aschwanden %A Sesker, Amanda A %A Jason E Strickhouser %A Antonio Terracciano %A Angelina R Sutin %K cognitive impairment %K cognitive impairment no dementia %K Dementia %K Loneliness %X

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' social integration may be maintained early in cognitive impairment.

%B Journal of Aging and Health %V 34 %P 3-13 %G eng %N 1 %R 10.1177/08982643211019500 %0 Journal Article %J Journal of Psychiatric Research %D 2022 %T Facets of conscientiousness and motoric cognitive risk syndrome %A Yannick Stephan %A Angelina R. Sutin %A Martina Luchetti %A Damaris Aschwanden %A Antonio Terracciano %K cognitive complaint %K Conscientiousness %K motoric cognitive risk %K walking speed %X 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 65–99 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: 0.67–0.85, p < .001) and to about 60% reduced risk of incident MCR (Hazard ratio [HR] = 0.63, 95%CI: 0.56–0.71, p < .001). Self-control, order, and responsibility were also associated with a lower likelihood of concurrent (OR range: 0.82–0.88) and incident (HR range: 0.72–0.82) MCR. Traditionalism (HR = 0.84, 95%CI: 0.75–0.93, p < .01) and virtue (HR = 0.84, 95%CI: 0.75–0.93, 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. %B Journal of Psychiatric Research %V 151 %P 73-77 %G eng %R 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.03.050 %0 Journal Article %J The Journals of Gerontology, Series B %D 2022 %T Pathways from early life SES to dementia risk in old age: The role of personality. %A Sesker, Amanda A %A O'Súilleabháin, Páraic S %A Lee, Ji Hyun %A Damaris Aschwanden %A Martina Luchetti %A Yannick Stephan %A Antonio Terracciano %A Angelina R Sutin %K CIND %K Conscientiousness %K cSES %K Dementia %K Neuroticism %X

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.

%B The Journals of Gerontology, Series B %V 77 %P 850-859 %G eng %N 5 %R 10.1093/geronb/gbab159 %0 Journal Article %J Aging and Mental Health %D 2022 %T Self-reported sense of purpose in life and proxy-reported behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in the last year of life. %A Angelina R Sutin %A Martina Luchetti %A Yannick Stephan %A Antonio Terracciano %K Behavioral Symptoms %K BPSD %K Dementia %K end of life %K Purpose in life %X

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are among the most challenging aspects of dementia for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers. Identifying factors associated with resilience to BPSD may inform interventions to reduce them. The present research examines whether purpose in life is associated with BPSD in the last year of life.Participants from the Health and Retirement Study were selected if they reported on their sense of purpose, had evidence of a memory impairment, died across the follow-up, and a proxy completed the End of Life survey that included BPSD ( = 2473). Self-reported sense of purpose was tested as a predictor of the sum of symptoms and each indivdual symptom in the last year of life.Purpose in life was associated with fewer BPSD overall. Of the individual symptoms, purpose was associated with less risk of psychological symptoms, specfiically less depression, periodic confusion, uncontrolled temper, but not with motor or perceptual symptoms. These results are consistent with growing evidence that purpose is associated with better cognitive outcomes. Purpose may be a useful target of intervention to improve outcomes across the spectrum of dementia.

%B Aging and Mental Health %V 26 %P 1693-1698 %G eng %N 8 %R 10.1080/13607863.2021.1937055 %0 Journal Article %J Gerontology %D 2022 %T Sense of Purpose in Life and Markers of Hearing Function: Replicated Associations across Two Longitudinal Cohorts. %A Angelina R Sutin %A Martina Luchetti %A Damaris Aschwanden %A Yannick Stephan %A Antonio Terracciano %K Episodic Memory %K hearing acuity %K Hearing loss %K Replication %K Sense of purpose %X

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.

%B Gerontology %V 68 %P 943-950 %G eng %N 8 %R 10.1159/000521257 %0 Journal Article %J The Journals of Gerontology, Series B %D 2021 %T Memory and Personality Development in Adulthood: Evidence From Four Longitudinal Studies. %A Yannick Stephan %A Angelina R Sutin %A Martina Luchetti %A Antonio Terracciano %K Adulthood %K longitudinal %K Memory %K Personality Development %X

OBJECTIVES: Personality traits have been related to concurrent memory performance. Most studies, however, have focused on personality as a predictor of memory; comparatively less is known about whether memory is related to personality development across adulthood. Using 4 samples, the present study tests whether memory level and change are related to personality change in adulthood.

METHOD: Participants were drawn from 2 waves of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Graduates (WLSG; N = 3,232, mean age = 64.28, SD = 0.65) and Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Siblings (WLSS; N = 1,570, mean age = 63.52, SD = 6.69) samples, the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS; N = 1,901, mean age = 55.43, SD = 10.98), and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; N = 6,038, mean age = 65.47, SD = 8.28). Immediate and delayed recall and the 5 major personality traits were assessed at baseline and follow-up.

RESULTS: There was heterogeneity in the associations across samples. A meta-analysis of latent change in the four samples indicated that lower baseline memory performance was related to an increase in neuroticism (B = -0.002; 95% CI = -0.004, -0.0008) and a decrease in agreeableness (B = 0.004; 95% CI = 0.002, 0.007) and conscientiousness (B = 0.005; 95% CI = 0.0008, 0.010). In addition, declines in memory were related to steeper declines in extraversion (B = 0.06; 95% CI = 0.003, 0.11), openness (B = 0.04; 95% CI = 0.007, 0.069), and conscientiousness (B = 0.05; 95% CI = 0.019, 0.09).

DISCUSSION: The present study indicates that poor memory and declines in memory over time are related to maladaptive personality change. These associations, however, were small and inconsistent across samples.

%B The Journals of Gerontology, Series B %V 76 %P 88-97 %G eng %N 1 %R 10.1093/geronb/gbaa086 %0 Journal Article %J Psychology and Aging %D 2021 %T An older subjective age is related to accelerated epigenetic aging. %A Yannick Stephan %A Angelina R Sutin %A Martina Luchetti %A Antonio Terracciano %K Epigenetic Age %K Subjective age %X

The present study examined the prospective association between subjective age and epigenetic clock in 2,253 adults (Mean age = 67.40, SD = 8.17) from the Health and Retirement Study. Subjective age and demographic factors were assessed in 2008/2010 and epigenetic clock was assessed in 2016 using the DNA methylation (DNAm) PhenoAge. Regression analysis revealed that an older subjective age was associated with accelerated epigenetic aging; mediation analysis revealed that self-rated health and CRP accounted for this association. The findings indicate that individuals who feel older than their chronological age are biologically older, in part because of their perceived health and inflammatory profiles. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

%B Psychology and Aging %V 36 %P 767-772 %G eng %N 6 %R 10.1037/pag0000607 %0 Journal Article %J Psychosomatic Medicine %D 2021 %T Personality and Headaches: Findings From Six Prospective Studies. %A Yannick Stephan %A Angelina R Sutin %A Martina Luchetti %A Canada, Brice %A Antonio Terracciano %K headaches %K Personality %X

OBJECTIVE: The present study examined the association between personality traits and concurrent and incident headaches.

METHODS: Participants (n = 34,989), aged 16 to 107 years were from the Midlife in the United States study, the Midlife in Japan study, the Health and Retirement Study, the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Graduate and Siblings samples, and the Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences. Demographic factors, personality traits, and headaches were assessed at baseline. Headaches were assessed again 4 to almost 20 years later.

RESULTS: Across the samples, higher neuroticism was related to a higher likelihood of concurrent (combined odd ratio = 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.28-1.55, p < .001) and incident (combined odd ratio = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.12-1.46, p < .001) headaches, whereas higher extraversion was associated with a lower likelihood of concurrent (combined odd ratio = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.84-0.89, p < .001) and incident (combined odd ratio = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.85-0.96, p = .001) headaches. Higher conscientiousness (combined odd ratio = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.86-0.94, p < .001) and openness (combined odd ratio = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.90-0.99, p = .025) were associated with a lower probability of reporting concurrent headaches. Agreeableness was unrelated to headaches. Sex was not a consistent moderator.

CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides robust evidence that neuroticism and introversion are risk factors for headaches in concurrent and prospective analyses across multiple cohorts.

%B Psychosomatic Medicine %V 83 %P 118-124 %G eng %N 2 %R 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000902 %0 Journal Article %J Journal of the American Geriatrics Society %D 2021 %T Purpose in Life and Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome: Replicable Evidence from Two National Samples. %A Angelina R Sutin %A Martina Luchetti %A Yannick Stephan %A Antonio Terracciano %K impairment well‐being %K pre‐dementia risk %K Purpose in life %K syndrome cognitive %X

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Motoric cognitive risk (MCR) syndrome is characterized by cognitive complaints and slow gait speed in the absence of dementia. Consistent evidence indicates that it predicts dementia and premature mortality. Less is known about its antecedents, particularly the role of psychological function. Purpose in life is an aspect of well-being that reflects a goal-oriented and -driven life that has been implicated in cognitive aging. We aimed to examine the cross-sectional association between purpose in life and MCR and to test the hypothesis that purpose is associated with a lower risk of new cases of MCR over an up to 12-year follow-up.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional and longitudinal multi-cohort design.

SETTING: Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS).

PARTICIPANTS: A total of 6,785 individuals from the HRS and 5,665 from the NHATS.

MEASUREMENTS: Participants reported on their purpose in life and cognitive complaints and completed a walking speed assessment. Cognitive complaints and walking speed were assessed again up to 12 years later in HRS and up to 7 years later in NHATS.

RESULTS: Higher purpose in life was associated with a 33% lower risk of MCR concurrently (meta-analytic odds ratio = .75; 95% confidence interval [CI] = .62-.90; P = .002) and an about 26% lower risk of incident MCR longitudinally (meta-analytic hazard ratio = .77; 95% CI = .70-.84; P < .001). These associations were significant in each sample, were independent of sociodemographic covariates, and persisted after controlling for personality and health-related factors (depressive symptoms, physical activity, disease burden).

CONCLUSION: Purpose in life is associated with a lower risk of incident MCR, an association that was replicated in two independent samples. Purpose is a malleable aspect of psychological function that is a promising target of intervention for healthier cognitive aging.

%B Journal of the American Geriatrics Society %V 69 %P 381-388 %G eng %N 2 %R 10.1111/jgs.16852 %0 Journal Article %J Journal of Psychiatric Research %D 2021 %T Self-Rated Health and Incident Dementia over Two Decades: Replication Across Two Cohorts %A Yannick Stephan %A Angelina R Sutin %A Martina Luchetti %A Damaris Aschwanden %A Antonio Terracciano %K Dementia %K longitudinal %K Risk Factors %K Self-rated health %X 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’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. %B Journal of Psychiatric Research %V 143 %P 462-466 %@ 0022-3956 %G eng %R 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.06.036 %0 Journal Article %J Psychology and Aging %D 2021 %T Subjective age and informant-rated cognition and function: A prospective study. %A Yannick Stephan %A Angelina R Sutin %A Martina Luchetti %A Antonio Terracciano %K Cognition %K HCAP %K Subjective age %X

The present study examined whether subjective age is related to informant-rated cognition. Participants were adults ( = 2,337, mean age = 69.84 years, = 7.45) from the Health and Retirement Study who provided subjective age and demographic factors in 2008/2010 and informant-rated cognition in 2016 as part of the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol. An older subjective age was associated with informant reports of steeper cognitive decline, worse cognitive function, lower ability, and loss of ability to do everyday activities. The present study indicates that subjective age predicts cognitive function in everyday life as observed by knowledgeable informants. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

%B Psychology and Aging %V 36 %P 338-343 %G eng %N 3 %R 10.1037/pag0000566 %0 Journal Article %J Journal of Psychosomatic Research %D 2021 %T Subjective age and multiple cognitive domains in two longitudinal samples %A Yannick Stephan %A Angelina R Sutin %A Martina Luchetti %A Damaris Aschwanden %A Antonio Terracciano %K Adulthood %K Cognition %K Executive function %K Memory %K numeric reasoning %K Subjective age %K verbal fluency %K Visuospatial ability %X 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 = 2549, Mean Age = 69.66, SD = 7.36) and the Midlife in the United States Survey (MIDUS, N = 2499, Mean Age = 46.24, SD = 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 years later in the HRS and almost 20 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 = 0.14 (MIDUS) and d = 0.24 (HRS) for episodic memory and d = 0.25 (MIDUS) and d = 0.33 (HRS) for speed-attention-executive. Feeling older was related to lower verbal fluency in HRS (d = 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 = 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 years of follow-up. %B Journal of Psychosomatic Research %V 150 %P 110616 %G eng %R 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2021.110616 %0 Journal Article %J Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics %D 2021 %T Subjective Age and Verbal Fluency among Middle Aged and Older Adults: A Meta-Analysis of Five Cohorts %A Yannick Stephan %A Angelina R Sutin %A Martina Luchetti %A Damaris Aschwanden %A Antonio Terracciano %K Adulthood %K ELSA %K Sister studies %K Subjective age %K verbal fluency %X 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. %B Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics %V 97 %P 104527 %G eng %R 10.1016/j.archger.2021.104527 %0 Journal Article %J Innovation in Aging %D 2020 %T The Effect of Cognitive Impairment on Loneliness in Older Adulthood: Evidence From HRS 2008-2018 %A Ji Hyun Lee %A Martina Luchetti %A Angelina R Sutin %A Antonio Terracciano %K cognitive impairment %K Loneliness %X Background: People experience loneliness when there is a mismatch between desired and actual social interaction. Demographic and health factors have been implicated in loneliness; less is known about the unique association of cognitive impairment on loneliness in older adulthood. Purpose: This study examined the link between cognitive impairment status and level and change in loneliness over a 9-year period and whether it is independent of physical health, depression, and social isolation. We examine the associations for overall and the emotional and social loneliness sub-domains of loneliness. Methods: Data were from the Health and Retirement Study 2008-2018 waves (N = 8,269, age 50+). Cognitive impairment status was categorized using mTICS. Loneliness was measured with 11-item UCLA Loneliness scale. Multilevel modeling was used to analyze the effects of cognitive status on loneliness, controlling for time-varying functional limitation, disease burden, social contact, and depression. Results: Cognitive impairment not dementia (CIND) was associated with higher loneliness (b = .04, p < .001). CIND (b = .03, p = .036) and dementia (b = .09, p = .017) were linked to higher emotional loneliness but were not independent of social isolation and depression. Those with CIND had higher social loneliness (b = .04, p = .016), even after adjusting for covariates. The trajectory of loneliness did not vary by cognitive status. Conclusions: Cognitive impairment is a risk factor for loneliness among older adults. Those with mild cognitive impairment experienced heightened loneliness, especially for social belongingness. Cognitive function should be considered in designing interventions for loneliness. %B Innovation in Aging %V 4 %P 322 %@ 2399-5300 %G eng %N Supplement_1 %R https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1031 %0 Journal Article %J Psychology & Health %D 2020 %T An examination of potential mediators of the relationship between polygenic scores of BMI and waist circumference and phenotypic adiposity %A Yannick Stephan %A Angelina R Sutin %A Martina Luchetti %A Pauline Caille %A Antonio Terracciano %K BMI %K depression %K Education %K Personality %K Physical activity %K polygenic score %K Waist Circumference %X AbstractObjective: The present study examined whether physical activity, personality, cognition, education, and depressive symptoms mediate the association between polygenic scores (PGS) for body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference and the corresponding phenotypic adiposity measures.Design: Participants were 9,139 individuals aged 50 to 107 years (57% women; Mean Age: 68.17, SD: 10.06) from the Health and Retirement Study who were genotyped. Trained staff measured their height, weight, and waist circumference, and participants answered questions on physical activity, personality, education, cognitive function, and depressive symptoms.Main Outcome Measures: BMI and waist circumference.Results: A higher PGS for both BMI and waist circumference were related to higher phenotypic BMI and waist circumference, respectively, in part through their association with lower physical activity, conscientiousness, education, and higher depressive symptoms but not cognition. The mediators accounted for 6.6% of the association between PGS and BMI and 9.6% of the association between PGS and waist circumference.Conclusion: The present study provides new evidence on the multiple, distinct pathways through which genetic propensity to higher BMI and waist circumference may lead to higher adiposity in adulthood. Individuals with a higher genetic predisposition to obesity may gain more weight through less adaptive behavioral, personality and educational profiles. %B Psychology & Health %G eng %U https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32275177 %9 Journal %R 10.1080/08870446.2020.1743839 %0 Journal Article %J The Journals of Gerontology: Series B %D 2020 %T Loneliness and Risk of Dementia %A Angelina R Sutin %A Yannick Stephan %A Martina Luchetti %A Antonio Terracciano %K Dementia %K Depressive symptoms %K Loneliness %K Risk Factors %X Objective The present study tests whether loneliness is associated with risk of dementia in the largest sample to date and further examines whether the association is independent of social isolation, a related but independent component of social integration, and whether it varies by demographic factors and genetic vulnerability. Method Participants from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 12,030) reported on their loneliness, social isolation, and had information on clinical, behavioral, and genetic risk factors. Cognitive status was assessed at baseline and every 2 years over a 10-year follow-up with the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICSm). A TICSm score of 6 or less was indicative of dementia. Results Cox proportional hazards regression indicated that loneliness was associated with a 40% increased risk of dementia. This association held controlling for social isolation, and clinical, behavioral, and genetic risk factors. The association was similar across gender, race, ethnicity, education, and genetic risk. Discussion Loneliness is associated with increased risk of dementia. It is one modifiable factor that can be intervened on to reduce dementia risk. %B The Journals of Gerontology: Series B %V 75 %P 1414-1422 %G eng %N 7 %R 10.1093/geronb/gby112 %0 Journal Article %J Psychoneuroendocrinology %D 2020 %T Personality and HbA1c: Findings from Six Samples %A Yannick Stephan %A Angelina R Sutin %A Martina Luchetti %A Canada, Brice %A Antonio Terracciano %K Diabetes %K ELSA %K HbA1c %K Personality %X Personality traits are associated with risk of diabetes, but most research to date has relied on participants reported diagnosis rather than objective markers of glycaemia. The present study examined the association between the five major domains of personality (neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness) and haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Participants (N > 26,000) were individuals aged from 16 to 104 years from six large community samples from the US, Europe, and Japan who had data on personality, demographic factors, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, and HbA1c. Of the five factors, only higher conscientiousness was related consistently to lower HbA1c level across most samples and in the meta-analysis. Conscientiousness was also related to lower risk of HbA1c ≥6.5% (OR = .85, 95%CI = 0.80-0.90). BMI and physical activity partially mediated the link between conscientiousness and HbA1c. There were not consistent associations for the other four traits across the six samples and no consistent associations between personality and likelihood of undiagnosed diabetes. The present study found replicable associations between conscientiousness and HbA1c in adulthood. Assessment of conscientiousness may improve the identification of individuals at risk of diabetes and guide personalized interventions for regulation of HbA1c level. %B Psychoneuroendocrinology %@ 0306-4530 %G eng %R 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104782 %0 Journal Article %J Social Science & Medicine %D 2020 %T Personality And Self-Rated Health Across Eight Cohort Studies %A Yannick Stephan %A Angelina R Sutin %A Martina Luchetti %A Hognon, Louis %A Canada, Brice %A Antonio Terracciano %K Adulthood %K ELSA %K longitudinal %K Personality %K Self-rated health %X Rationale There is substantial evidence for the predictive value of single-item selfrated health measures for a range of health outcomes. Past research has found an association between personality traits and self-rated health. However, there has not been a multi-cohort large-scale study that has examined this link, and few studies have examined the association between personality and change in self-rated health. Objective To examine the concurrent and longitudinal association between personality and self-rated health.MethodParticipants were individuals aged from 16 to 107 years (N> 46,000) drawn from eight large longitudinal samples from the US, Europe, and Japan. Brief measures of the five-factor model of personality, a single item measure of self-rated health, and covariates (age, sex, and education, and race) were assessed at baseline and self-rated health was measured again 3 to 20 years later. Results In cross-sectional analyses, higher neuroticism was related to lower self-rated health whereas higher extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness were associated with better self-rated health across most samples. A meta-analysis revealed that a one standard deviation higher neuroticism was related to more than 50% higher risk of fair to poor health, whereas a one standard deviation higher extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness was associated with at least 15% lower risk of fair or poor health. A similar pattern was found in longitudinal analyses: personality was associated with risk of self-rated excellent/very good/good health at baseline becoming fair/poor at follow-up. In multilevel analyses, however, personality was weakly related to trajectories of self-rated health and in the opposite of the expected direction. Conclusions The present study shows replicable cross-sectional and small longitudinal associations between personality and self-rated health. This study suggests that lower neuroticism, higher extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness are related to more favorable self-evaluations of health. %B Social Science & Medicine %@ 0277-9536 %G eng %R https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113245 %0 Journal Article %J GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR %D 2020 %T Polygenic score for neuroticism is related to sleep difficulties %A Yannick Stephan %A Angelina R Sutin %A Martina Luchetti %A Antonio Terracciano %K Neuroticism %K polygenic score %K sleep quality %X Neuroticism, a broad trait measure of the tendency to experience negative emotions and vulnerability to stress, is consistently related to poor sleep quality. Less is known about potential pleiotropy in the genetic risk for high neuroticism and poor sleep. Therefore, the present study examined whether polygenic score (PGS) for neuroticism is related to sleep quality in two large samples of adults. In addition, depressive symptoms, anxiety and phenotypical neuroticism were tested as mediators in both samples. Participants were 8316 individuals aged from 50 to 101 years (mean age = 68.29, SD = 9.83) from the Health and Retirement Study, and 4973 individuals aged from 63 to 67 years (mean age = 64.30, SD = 0.68) from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. Participants from both samples were genotyped and answered questions on sleep quality. A higher PGS for neuroticism was related to lower sleep quality concurrently and over time in both samples. Anxiety, depressive symptoms and neuroticism mediated these relationships in the two samples. Although effect sizes were small, the present study provides replicable evidence that individuals with a higher genetic predisposition to experience negative emotions and distress are at risk of sleep difficulties. %B GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR %P e12644 %G eng %9 Article; Early Access %R 10.1111/gbb.12644 %0 Journal Article %J Journal of Research in Personality %D 2019 %T Cigarette smoking and personality change across adulthood: Findings from five longitudinal samples %A Yannick Stephan %A Angelina R Sutin %A Martina Luchetti %A Pauline Caille %A Antonio Terracciano %K Cigarette smoking %K longitudinal study %K Personality change %X Personality traits are related to cigarette smoking. However, little is known about the link between smoking and change in personality. Therefore, the present study examined whether current cigarette smoking and smoking cessation are associated with personality change across adulthood. Participants (n = 15,572) aged from 20 to 92 years were drawn from five longitudinal cohorts with follow-ups that ranged from 4 to 20 years. Compared to non-smokers, current smokers were more likely to increase on neuroticism and to decline on extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness over time. Compared to the persistent smokers, those who quit had a steeper decline in agreeableness. Cigarette smoking is related to detrimental personality changes across adulthood, and the pattern was not improved by smoking cessation. %B Journal of Research in Personality %V 81 %P 187 - 194 %G eng %U http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092656618300825 %9 Journal %R doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2019.06.006 %0 Journal Article %J Journal of Aging and Health %D 2019 %T Evaluations of a previous day as a pathway between personality and healthy cognitive aging %A Angelina R Sutin %A Yannick Stephan %A Damaris Aschwanden %A Martina Luchetti %A Jason E Strickhouser %A Antonio Terracciano %K Cognition & Reasoning %K Personality %K Self Report %X

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.

%B Journal of Aging and Health %G eng %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31030604?dopt=Abstract %R 10.1177/0898264319843451 %0 Journal Article %J Journal of Psychosomatic Research %D 2019 %T Facets of conscientiousness and longevity: Findings from the Health and Retirement Study. %A Yannick Stephan %A Angelina R Sutin %A Martina Luchetti %A Antonio Terracciano %K Conscientiousness %K Longevity %K Mortality %X Objectives: Conscientiousness is the strongest personality predictor of longevity. The present study examined which facets of conscientiousness are the most strongly related to mortality risk in a large longitudinal sample of middle-aged and older adults. Method: Seven-year mortality data were obtained from participants (total N > 11,000) from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, 2008–2014). Six facets of conscientiousness, demographic factors, disease burden, smoking and physical inactivity were assessed at baseline. Results: Controlling for demographic factors, every standard deviation higher order, traditionalism, virtue, and responsibility was related to an approximately 10% reduced risk of mortality; industriousness was associated with an almost 25% lower likelihood of mortality. Except for traditionalism, these associations were partially accounted by health and behavioral covariates. Self-control was not related to longevity. When all facets and the covariates were simultaneously included, only industriousness was significantly associated with mortality. Conclusions: The present study provides new evidence about the specific facets of conscientiousness that are related to longevity. %B Journal of Psychosomatic Research %V 116 %P 1-5 %8 01/2019 %G eng %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30654983?dopt=Abstract %R 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2018.11.002 %0 Journal Article %J BMC Geriatrics %D 2019 %T Five-factor model personality traits and cognitive function in five domains in older adulthood %A Angelina R Sutin %A Yannick Stephan %A Martina Luchetti %A Antonio Terracciano %K Cognition %K cognitive function %K five-factor model %K Personality %X Background Five-factor model (FFM) personality traits have been associated consistently with risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Less is known about how these traits are associated with functioning in specific domains of cognitive function in older adulthood. Methods Participants (N = 2865) were drawn from the 2016 Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol sub-study of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Participants completed a battery of cognitive tasks that measured performance in five domains: Memory (eight tasks), speed-attention-executive (five tasks), visuospatial ability (three tasks), fluency (one task), and numeric reasoning (one task). Participants completed an FFM personality measure as part of the regular HRS assessment in either 2014 or 2016. Linear regression was used to examine the association between the traits and each cognitive task and composite scores for the five domains, controlling for age, sex, race, ethnicity, and education. We also tested whether the associations were moderated by these sociodemographic factors or mental status. Results Neuroticism was associated with worse performance on all of the cognitive tasks. Conscientiousness was associated with better performance across all five cognitive domains, although not necessarily with every task. Openness and Agreeableness were associated with better performance in all domains, except for numeric reasoning. Extraversion was associated with better speed-attention-executive and fluency. There was no robust evidence that the association between personality and cognition was moderated by sociodemographic characteristics or global cognitive function. Conclusions Personality traits have pervasive associations with functioning across five cognitive domains. Consistent with the literature on personality and risk of ADRD, Neuroticism and Conscientiousness were associated with cognitive performance in the expected direction in all domains. Extraversion was the only trait that showed domain-specific associations. The present research supports models of personality and health in the context of cognition and suggests that personality is associated with intermediate markers of cognitive health. %B BMC Geriatrics %V 19 %P 343 %8 Dec %G eng %U https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-019-1362-1 %R 10.1186/s12877-019-1362-1 %0 Journal Article %J Preventative Med %D 2019 %T Personality traits and preventive cancer screenings in the Health Retirement Study. %A Damaris Aschwanden %A Mary A Gerend %A Martina Luchetti %A Yannick Stephan %A Angelina R Sutin %A Antonio Terracciano %K Cancer screenings %K Personality %K Preventative Care %X 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. %B Preventative Med %V 126 %G eng %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31260725?dopt=Abstract %R 10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.105763 %0 Journal Article %J Journal of Psychosomatic Research %D 2019 %T The prospective association between personality traits and persistent pain and opioid medication use. %A Angelina R Sutin %A Yannick Stephan %A Martina Luchetti %A Antonio Terracciano %K Chronic pain %K Personality %K Prescription Medication %X

OBJECTIVE: Pain and prescription opioid medication use are prevalent and a major source of psychological and physical health burden. This research examines whether Five Factor Model personality traits prospectively predict who will experience persistent pain and use prescription opioid medication over a 10-year follow-up.

METHODS: Participants (N = 8491) were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study. At baseline, participants reported on their personality and whether they were in pain. Every two years, participants reported on their pain and, at the most recent assessment, their current use of prescription opioid medication. Logistic regression was used to test whether personality was associated with persistent pain over the up to 10-year follow-up and whether it predicted who would be taking prescription opioid medication.

RESULTS: Neuroticism was associated with higher risk of persistent pain (OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.38-1.51) and opioid medication use (OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.14-1.29) over the follow-up. Extraversion was associated with lower risk of persistent pain (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.80-0.87) and opioid medication use (OR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.86-0.97). Similarly, Conscientiousness was associated with lower risk of persistent pain (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.79-0.87) and opioid medication use (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.86-0.97).

CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that personality traits are one psychological characteristic that modulates the likelihood of persistent pain and opioid medication use.

%B Journal of Psychosomatic Research %V 123 %P 109721 %G eng %U https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022399919300315 %9 Journal %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31103210?dopt=Abstract %R 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2019.04.019 %0 Journal Article %J Journal of Personality %D 2018 %T Alcohol use and personality change in middle and older adulthood: Findings from the Health and Retirement Study. %A Martina Luchetti %A Antonio Terracciano %A Yannick Stephan %A Angelina R Sutin %K Alcohol Consumption %K Personality %K Self-reported health %X

OBJECTIVE: Personality is known to predict alcohol consumption, but how alcohol use is related to personality change is less clear, especially at older ages. The present study examined the effects of level of alcohol consumption and history of dependence on change in the Five-Factor Model personality traits in a national cohort of Americans aged over 50.

METHOD: Over 10,000 adults who participated in 2006-2008 waves of the Health and Retirement Study reported on personality and alcohol use and were followed over 4 years.

RESULTS: Latent difference score models indicated decreases in Extraversion to be attenuated for individuals categorized as light-to-moderate drinkers at baseline, whereas decreases in Conscientiousness were accentuated by having experienced alcohol dependence symptoms. Moreover, personality difference scores correlated with changes in the amount of alcohol consumed at follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that patterns of alcohol consumption are associated with changes in personality across the second half of the life span.

%B Journal of Personality %V 86 %P 1003-1016 %G eng %N 6 %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29357105?dopt=Abstract %R 10.1111/jopy.12371 %0 Journal Article %J Journal of Psychiatric Research %D 2018 %T Polygenic Score for Alzheimer Disease and cognition: The mediating role of personality. %A Yannick Stephan %A Angelina R Sutin %A Martina Luchetti %A Pauline Caille %A Antonio Terracciano %K Alzheimer's disease %K Cognition & Reasoning %K Personality %K PGS %X Alzheimer's disease (AD) polygenic risk score (PGS) is associated with lower cognitive functioning even among older individuals without dementia. We tested the hypothesis that personality traits mediate the association between AD genetic risk and cognitive functioning. Participants (N > 7,000, aged 50-99 years old) from the Health and Retirement Study were genotyped and completed personality and cognition tests at baseline. Cognition was assessed again four years later. Bootstrap analysis revealed that a higher AD polygenic risk score was associated with lower cognitive scores at baseline through higher neuroticism, lower conscientiousness, and lower levels of the industriousness facet of conscientiousness. In addition, a higher polygenic score for AD was associated with decline in cognition over four years in part through higher neuroticism and lower conscientiousness. The findings support the hypothesis that the genetic vulnerability for AD contributes to cognitive functioning in part through its association with personality traits. %B Journal of Psychiatric Research %V 107 %P 110-113 %G eng %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30384091?dopt=Abstract %R 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.10.015 %0 Journal Article %J International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry %D 2018 %T Self-reported personality traits are prospectively associated with proxy-reported behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia at the end of life. %A Angelina R Sutin %A Yannick Stephan %A Martina Luchetti %A Antonio Terracciano %K Cognitive Ability %K Dementia %K Personality %K Self-reported health %X

OBJECTIVE: Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are among the most challenging aspects of Alzheimer disease for patients and their families. Previous studies have found associations between informant-reported retrospective personality and BPSD; we test whether prospective, self-reported personality predicts who will experience these symptoms.

METHODS: Deceased participants from the Health and Retirement Study who had evidence of cognitive impairment at the end of life (N = 1988) were selected to examine whether self-reported five-factor model personality traits, measured up to 8 years before death, were associated with proxy-reported BPSD.

RESULTS: Neuroticism was associated with increased risk of the 7 BPSD: got lost in familiar places, wandered off, were not able to be left alone, experienced hallucinations, suffered from depression, had periodic confusion, and an uncontrolled temper. These associations were not moderated by age, gender, race, or education. Conscientiousness was associated with fewer symptoms overall and especially with lower risk of getting lost in familiar places and not being able to be left alone.

CONCLUSIONS: The present research indicates that self-reported personality, particularly Neuroticism, is associated prospectively with risk for a wide range of behavioral symptoms for individuals who had cognitive impairment at the end of life. The use of self-reported personality traits can help aid in identifying who is most at risk for behavioral symptoms. Such information may be useful for nonpharmacological interventions tailored to the individual's personality to reduce the prevalence and burden of these BPSD.

%B International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry %V 33 %P 489-494 %G eng %N 3 %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28869657?dopt=Abstract %R 10.1002/gps.4782 %0 Journal Article %J J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci %D 2017 %T Feeling Older and the Development of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia. %A Yannick Stephan %A Angelina R Sutin %A Martina Luchetti %A Antonio Terracciano %K Aged %K Aged, 80 and over %K Aging %K Alzheimer disease %K Cognitive Dysfunction %K depression %K disease progression %K Female %K Health Behavior %K Humans %K Life Style %K Likelihood Functions %K Logistic Models %K Longitudinal Studies %K Male %K Risk Factors %K Self Concept %X

Objective: Subjective age is a biopsychosocial marker of aging associated with a range of outcomes in old age. In the domain of cognition, feeling older than one's chronological age is related to lower cognitive performance and steeper cognitive decline among older adults. The present study examines whether an older subjective age is associated with the risk of incident cognitive impairment and dementia.

Method: Participants were 5,748 individuals aged 65 years and older drawn from the Health and Retirement Study. Measures of subjective age, cognition, and covariates were obtained at baseline, and follow-up cognition was assessed over a 2- to 4-year period. Only participants without cognitive impairment were included at baseline. At follow-up, participants were classified into one of the three categories: normal functioning, cognitive impairment without dementia (CIND), and dementia.

Results: An older subjective age at baseline was associated with higher likelihood of CIND (odds ratio [OR] = 1.18; 1.09-1.28) and dementia (OR = 1.29; 1.02-1.63) at follow-up, controlling for chronological age, other demographic factors, and baseline cognition. Physical inactivity and depressive symptoms partly accounted for these associations.

Conclusion: An older subjective age is a marker of individuals' risk of subsequent cognitive impairment and dementia.

%B J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci %V 72 %P 966-973 %8 2017 Oct 01 %G eng %U https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27436103 %N 6 %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27436103?dopt=Abstract %R 10.1093/geronb/gbw085 %0 Journal Article %J J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci %D 2017 %T Personality and Lung Function in Older Adults. %A Antonio Terracciano %A Yannick Stephan %A Martina Luchetti %A Gonzalez-Rothi, Ricardo %A Angelina R Sutin %K Aged %K Aged, 80 and over %K Anxiety Disorders %K Character %K Disease Susceptibility %K Dyspnea %K Female %K Follow-Up Studies %K Health Behavior %K Humans %K Male %K Medical History Taking %K Middle Aged %K Neuroticism %K Peak Expiratory Flow Rate %K Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive %K Risk Factors %X

OBJECTIVES: Lung disease is a leading cause of disability and death among older adults. We examine whether personality traits are associated with lung function and shortness of breath (dyspnea) in a national cohort with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

METHOD: Participants (N = 12,670) from the Health and Retirement Study were tested for peak expiratory flow (PEF) and completed measures of personality, health behaviors, and a medical history.

RESULTS: High neuroticism and low extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were associated with lower PEF, and higher likelihood of COPD and dyspnea. Conscientiousness had the strongest and most consistent associations, including lower risk of PEF less than 80% of the predicted value (OR = 0.67; 0.62-0.73) and dyspnea (OR = 0.52; 0.47-0.57). Although attenuated, the associations remained significant when accounting for smoking, physical activity, and chronic diseases including cardiovascular and psychiatric disorders. The associations between personality and PEF or dyspnea were similar among those with or without COPD, suggesting that psychological links to lung function are not disease dependent. In longitudinal analyses, high neuroticism (β = -0.019) and low conscientiousness (β = 0.027) predicted steeper declines in PEF.

DISCUSSION: A vulnerable personality profile is common among individuals with limited lung function and COPD, predicts shortness of breath and worsening lung function.

%B J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci %V 72 %P 913-921 %8 2017 Oct 01 %G eng %U http://psychsocgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2016/01/18/geronb.gbv161.abstract %N 6 %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26786321?dopt=Abstract %4 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/Conscientiousness/Conscientiousness/Lung function/Peak expiratory flow/Personality/Personality/Shortness of breath %$ 999999 %R 10.1093/geronb/gbv161 %0 Journal Article %J Journal of Psychiatric Research %D 2017 %T Personality traits and risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. %A Antonio Terracciano %A Yannick Stephan %A Martina Luchetti %A Albanese, Emiliano %A Angelina R Sutin %K Cognitive Ability %K Dementia %K Older Adults %K Personality %X

We investigated the association between five factor model personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) and risk of dementia, cognitive impairment not dementia (CIND), and conversion from CIND to dementia in a large national cohort. Participants from the Health and Retirement Study (N > 10,000) completed a personality scale in 2006-2008 and their cognitive status was tracked for up to 8 years using the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICSm). Adjusting for age, sex, education, race, and ethnicity, lower conscientiousness and agreeableness and higher neuroticism were independently associated with increased risk of dementia. These associations remained significant after adjusting for other risk factors for dementia, including income, wealth, smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and blood biomarkers. These associations were not modified by age, sex, race, ethnicity, and education, suggesting that the associations of personality with risk of dementia were similar across demographic groups. Neuroticism and conscientiousness were also associated with risk of CIND. Low conscientiousness predicted conversion from CIND to dementia. Using brief assessments of personality and cognition, we found robust evidence that personality is associated with risk of cognitive impairment and dementia in a large national sample.

%B Journal of Psychiatric Research %V 89 %P 22-27 %8 2017 Jan 22 %G eng %R 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2017.01.011 %0 Journal Article %J Psychosom Med %D 2016 %T Allostatic Load and Personality: A 4-Year Longitudinal Study. %A Yannick Stephan %A Angelina R Sutin %A Martina Luchetti %A Antonio Terracciano %K Aged %K Aged, 80 and over %K Aging %K Allostasis %K Anxiety Disorders %K Biomarkers %K Conscience %K Extraversion, Psychological %K Female %K Humans %K Longitudinal Studies %K Male %K Middle Aged %K Neuroticism %K Personality %X

OBJECTIVE: Dysregulation across multiple physiological systems, referred to as allostatic load, has pervasive consequences for an individual's health. The present study examined whether allostatic load is associated with personality and personality changes during a 4-year follow-up.

METHODS: A total of 5200 participants aged from 50 to 99 years (59.5% women, mean [standard deviation] age = 66.91 [8.88] years) from the Health and Retirement Study provided data on cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune markers at baseline and personality both at baseline and at 4 years later.

RESULTS: Higher allostatic load was related to higher neuroticism (β = 0.03, p = .042), lower extraversion (β = -0.06, p < .001), and lower conscientiousness (β = -0.06, p < .001) at baseline, and to declines in extraversion (β = -0.03, p = .007), conscientiousness (β = -0.04, p < .001), and agreeableness (β = -0.02, p = .020) over the 4-year period, controlling for demographic covariates. A significant quadratic relation between allostatic load and changes in openness (β = -0.03, p = .002) suggested that openness declines when individuals exceed a high level of cumulative physiological dysregulation. No association was found with changes in neuroticism.

CONCLUSIONS: Allostatic load is associated with personality change across adulthood and old age. The findings indicate that physiological dysregulation across multiple systems challenges personality stability and is associated with accelerated personality traits change.

%B Psychosom Med %I 78 %V 78 %P 302-10 %8 2016 04 %G eng %U https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26716813 %N 3 %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26716813?dopt=Abstract %R 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000281 %0 Journal Article %J Psychoneuroendocrinology %D 2014 %T Five-factor model personality traits and inflammatory markers: new data and a meta-analysis. %A Martina Luchetti %A James M Barkley %A Yannick Stephan %A Antonio Terracciano %A Angelina R Sutin %K Adult %K Aged %K Aged, 80 and over %K Biomarkers %K C-reactive protein %K Female %K Humans %K Inflammation %K Male %K Middle Aged %K Personality %X

The purpose of this research is to examine the association between five major dimensions of personality and systemic inflammation through (a) new data on C-reactive protein (CRP) from three large national samples of adults that together cover most of the adult lifespan and (b) a meta-analysis of published studies on CRP and interleukin-6 (IL-6). New data (total N=26,305) were drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the Midlife in the United States study, and the Health and Retirement Study. PRISMA guidelines were used for the meta-analysis to combine results of up to seven studies on CRP (N=34,067) and six on IL-6 (N=7538). Across the three new samples, higher conscientiousness was associated with lower CRP. The conscientiousness-CRP relation was virtually identical controlling for smoking; controlling for body mass index attenuated this association but did not eliminate it. Compared to participants in the highest quartile of conscientiousness, participants in the lowest quartile had an up to 50% increased risk of CRP levels that exceeded the clinical threshold (≥3 mg/l). The meta-analysis supported the association between conscientiousness and both CRP and IL-6 and also suggested a negative association between openness and CRP; no associations were found for neuroticism, extraversion and agreeableness. The present work indicates a modest, but consistent, association between conscientiousness and a more favorable inflammatory profile, which may contribute to the role of conscientiousness in better health across the lifespan.

%B Psychoneuroendocrinology %I 50 %V 50 %P 181-93 %8 2014 Dec %G eng %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25233337?dopt=Abstract %2 PMC4544833 %4 Personality/Personality/Conscientiousness/Conscientiousness/C-reactive protein/Interleukin-6/Meta-analysis %$ 999999 %R 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.08.014 %0 Journal Article %J Obesity %D 2014 %T Perceived weight discrimination and C-reactive protein %A Angelina R Sutin %A Yannick Stephan %A Martina Luchetti %A Antonio Terracciano %K Health Conditions and Status %K Methodology %X Objective: Perceived weight discrimination has been linked to health outcomes, including risk of obesity. Less is known about how discrimination is associated with intermediate physiological markers of health, such as systemic inflammation. This research examined the association between weight discrimination and C-reactive protein (CRP) and whether it varied by participants' body mass index (BMI). Methods: Cross-sectional design using data from the Health and Retirement Study. Among participants who were overweight or obese (N=7,394), regression analysis was used to test for an association between weight discrimination and CRP and whether this association was moderated by BMI. Similar associations among seven other attributions for discrimination were tested. Results: The association between weight discrimination and CRP varied as a function of BMI: At BMI between the thresholds for overweight and obesity (BMI 25-30), weight discrimination was associated with higher circulating levels of CRP; there was no association between weight discrimination and CRP as BMI approached Class 3 obesity (BMI 40). A similar pattern emerged for discrimination based on a physical disability, but not for the other attributions for discrimination (e.g., race, age). Conclusions: Weight discrimination is associated with higher circulating CRP, an association that is moderated by BMI. . %B Obesity %I 22 %V 22 %P 1959-1961 %G eng %N 9 %4 weight discrimination/Obesity/physiological markers/weight/height/biomarkers %$ 999999 %R 10.1002/oby.20789