Personality traits and preventive cancer screenings in the health retirement study

Publication date: Available online 29 June 2019Source: Preventive MedicineAuthor(s): Damaris Aschwanden, Mary A. Gerend, Martina Luchetti, Yannick Stephan, Angelina R. Sutin, Antonio TerraccianoAbstractThe 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, Mage = 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 s...
Source: Preventive Medicine - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research