The big five personality traits and reporting of health problems and health behaviour in old age

Abstract

Objectives. To assess whether the ‘big five’ personality traits are related to health behaviour among British older people. Design. The NEO Five Factor Inventory, together with questions on medical problems, perceived health status, positive health behaviours, and frequency of visits to general practitioners were administered to people aged between 75 and 84 years. Method. Fifty people (21 men and 29 women) were interviewed, drawn from four GP lists in Southampton. Results. Neuroticism was associated with a number of reported medical problems, negatively perceived health status and frequency of visits to the GP. Extraversion was associated with positive health behaviours. Openness to experience and agreeableness were associated with positive health perceptions. There were some striking differences between associations found within the male and female groups. Agreeable women reported fewer medical problems and less frequent visits to the GP than antagonistic women, whereas conscientious men reported more positive health perceptions and more visits to the GP than non‐conscientious men. Conclusion. Since associations are evident for each of the personality traits, all of the ‘big five’ personality traits should be included in research on health behaviour to investigate their relevance for clinical practice.