Low conscientiousness and risk of all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality over 17years: Whitehall II cohort study

Abstract

Objective To examine the personality trait conscientiousness as a risk factor for mortality and to identify candidate explanatory mechanisms. Methods Participants in the Whitehall II cohort study (N = 6800, aged 34 to 55 at recruitment in 1985) completed two self-reported items measuring conscientiousness in 1991–1993 (‘I am overly conscientious’ and ‘I am overly perfectionistic’, Cronbach's α = .72), the baseline for this study. Age, socio-economic status (SES), social support, health behaviours, physiological variables and minor psychiatric morbidity were also recorded at baseline. The vital status of participants was then monitored for a mean of 17 years. All-cause and cause-specific mortality was ascertained through linkage to a national mortality register until January 2010. Results Each 1 standard deviation decrease in conscientiousness was associated with a 10% increase in all-cause (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.10, 95% CI 1.003, 1.20) mortality. Patterns were similar for cardiovascular (HR = 1.17, 95% CI 0.98, 1.39) and cancer mortality (HR = 1.10, 95% CI 0.96, 1.25), not reaching statistical significance. The association with all-cause mortality was attenuated by 5% after adjustment for SES, 13% for health behaviours, 14% for cardiovascular risk factors, 5% for minor psychiatric morbidity, 29% for all variables. Repeating analyses with each item separately and excluding participants who died within five years of personality assessment did not change the results materially. Conclusion Low conscientiousness in midlife is a risk factor for all-cause mortality. This association is only partly explained by health behaviours, SES, cardiovascular disease risk factors and minor psychiatric morbidity in midlife.

Personality Traits and Circadian Blood Pressure Patterns

“…In addition to a non-dipping pattern, individuals with low levels of conscientiousness are likely to have other risk factors for cardiovascular health, including cigarette smoking and other substance use (23, 46), sedentary behavior (43), obesity (22, 49), inflammation (48, 50), dyslipidemia (51), and metabolic syndrome (24). In long-term prospective studies, low conscientiousness is also associated with a number of health outcomes (52, 53), such as Alzheimer's disease (25), and mortality (26, 54-56). Less is known about whether conscientiousness predicts cardiovascular events, such as stroke.…”

“…Less is known about whether conscientiousness predicts cardiovascular events, such as stroke. However, prospective studies indicate that low conscientiousness is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular mortality (30, 54, 55). Given this pattern of associations, cardiovascular research should consider the domain of conscientiousness and its facets, along with the more traditional psychological risk factors.…”

Personality and Risk of Frailty: the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

“…Of the five major traits, conscientiousness—the tendency to be organised, responsible, industrious and disciplined—is the personality trait that has been most consistently linked with healthier behaviour [27] and with longevity [28–33]. People who are higher in conscientiousness also have a reduced risk of dying from cardiovascular disease [34–36]; are less likely to develop or die of diabetes [37]; and have a lower risk of obesity [38], cognitive decline [39] and dementia [40]. Neuroticism—the tendency to experience negative emotions—has been linked with smoking and low physical activity [41].…”

Childhood onset of migraine, gender, parental social class, and trait neuroticism as predictors of the prevalence of migraine in adulthood

“…Neuroticism, in particular, has been strongly implicated with numerous health outcomes and longevity (Bogg & Roberts, 2004;Chapman et al, 2011;Goodwin & Friedman, 2006;Hagger-Johnson et al, 2012;Kern & Friedman, 2008). Earlier Eysenck (1985) noted that individuals high in Neuroticism and low in Conscientiousness were more prone to developing chronic psychosomatic illnesses.…”