Abstract
To determine whether the personality traits of conscientiousness and agreeableness are associated with self-care behaviours and glycaemia in Type2 diabetes. The Big Five Inventory personality traits Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Neuroticism and Openness were determined along with a range of other variables in 1313 participants with Type2 diabetes (mean age 65.8±11.1years; 52.9% men) undertaking their baseline assessment as part of the community-based longitudinal observational Fremantle Diabetes Study PhaseII. Age- and sex-adjusted generalized linear modelling was used to determine whether personality was associated with BMI, smoking, self-monitoring of blood glucose and medication taking. Multivariable regression was used to investigate which traits were independently associated with these self-care behaviours and HbA1c . Patients with higher conscientiousness were less likely to be obese or smoke, and more likely to perform self-monitoring of blood glucose and take their medications (P≤0.019), with similar independent associations in multivariate models (P≤0.024). HbA1c was independently associated with younger age, indigenous ethnicity, higher BMI, longer diabetes duration, diabetes treatment, self-monitoring of blood glucose (negatively) and less medication taking (P≤0.009), but no personality trait added to the model. Although there was no independent association between personality traits and HbA1c , the relationship between high conscientiousness and low BMI and beneficial self-care behaviours suggests an indirect positive effect on glycaemia. Conscientiousness could be augmented by the use of impulse control training as part of diabetes management.
Published Version
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