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We tested the effects of Neuroticism and Conscientiousness on burnout across time, controlling for age, gender, work hours, and depressive symptoms. Our theoretical model included both global burnout and its physical, emotional, and cognitive facets, consistent with the bifactor approach to modeling second-order constructs in structural equation modeling. Data were gathered from 1,105 respondents (63% men) who completed questionnaires at Time 1 (T1) and approximately 24 months later at Time 2 (T2). Neuroticism positively predicted T1 global burnout and negatively predicted T1 and T2 emotional exhaustion. Conscientiousness negatively predicted T1 global burnout and T1 and T2 cognitive weariness, and positively predicted T1 and T2 emotional exhaustion. Our gender-specific exploratory analysis revealed that for each gender, Neuroticism and Conscientiousness predicted different facets of burnout at T1 and T2. We recommend that future research test the possibility that the associations of Neuroticism and Conscientiousness with global burnout and its facets may be gender specific.

BackgroundFalls are a major problem for older adults. Many falls occur when a person’s attention is divided between two tasks, such as a dual task (DT) involving walking. Most recently, the role of personality in walking performance was addressed; however, its association with DT performance remains to be determined.MethodsThis cross-sectional study of 73 older, community-dwelling adults explores the association between personality and DT walking and the role of gender in this relationship. Personality was evaluated using the five-factor model. Single-task (ST) and DT assessment of walking-cognitive DT performance comprised a 1-min walking task and an arithmetic task performed separately (ST) and concurrently (DT). Dual-task costs (DTCs), reflecting the proportional difference between ST and DT performance, were also calculated.ResultsGender plays a role in the relationship between personality and DT. Extraversion was negatively associated with DTC-motor for men (ΔR2 = 0.06, p < 0.05). Conscientiousness was positively associated with DTC-cognition for women (ΔR2 = 0.08, p < 0.01).ConclusionThese findings may lead to effective personality-based early detection and intervention for fall prevention.

We tested the possibility that the five-factor model of personality is associated with three measures of body weight and with changes in their levels over time and that these associations are gender specific. The study was conducted at two points of time, Time 1 (2664 participants) and Time 2 (1492 participants), over approximately 4 years, controlling for gender, age, education, and having a chronic disease. Body weight was assessed by body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and the five-factor model by Saucier's Mini-Markers. Cross-sectional regression results indicated that conscientiousness was negatively associated with the three body weight measures, whereas neuroticism and extraversion were positively associated with the three body weight measures. The longitudinal regression results indicate that extraversion was associated with an increase in two of the body weight measures. Neuroticism was associated with increase in all three body weight measures and more strongly for women than for men. Openness was associated with a decrease in all three body weight measures for women, but this association was not significant for men. These findings help identify personality traits that lead to risk of weight gain and point to the modifying role of gender.

Musculoskeletal (MS) pain is highly prevalent in the working population, often resulting in chronic disability. Burnout represents accumulated exposure to work-related stresses and therefore could predict the incidence of MS pain. We investigated prospectively the extent to which changes in the levels of burnout over time predict new cases of MS pain. Participants were 1,704 apparently healthy employed men and women who underwent periodic health examination at three points of time (T1, T2, and T3), over a period of about three years. We used the T1 to T2 changes in the levels of burnout, depressive symptoms, and anxiety to predict the onset of new cases of MS pain between T2 and T3, while controlling for possible confounders. Logistic regression results indicated that the T1-T2 change in burnout levels was associated with a 2.09-fold increased risk of MS pain (95% confidence interval ϭ 1. 07-4.10). No support was found for the possibility of reverse causation; that is, that MS pain predicts subsequent elevations of burnout levels. It was concluded that burnout might be a risk factor in the development of MS pain in apparently healthy individuals.