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Neuroticism and extraversion personality traits, health behaviours, and subjective well-being: the Fukuoka Study (Japan)

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Abstract

Purpose

We evaluated personality dimensions captured by an abbreviated 8-item questionnaire and examined associations of the personality traits with health behaviours and subjective well-being (SWB) measures.

Methods

The subjects were 11,554 participants in the Kyushu University Fukuoka Cohort Study who completed a self-administered questionnaire inquiring health behaviours, morbidity, personality, and SWB. Personality was assessed by using a questionnaire appeared to capture neuroticism and extraversion traits, and SWB-related variables were assessed with 3 single-item questions.

Results

Neuroticism was negatively and extraversion was positively associated with BMI. Extraversion, but not neuroticism, was positively associated with smoking and alcohol drinking. After multivariate adjustment, neuroticism was strongly associated with each of 3 SWB measures. The multivariate-adjusted odds ratios for the highest versus lowest quintile of neuroticism were 6.09 (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.05–7.33) for perceived stress; 0.21 (95% CI, 0.18–0.25) for good health condition; and 0.26 (95% CI, 0.22–0.31) for life satisfaction. Extraversion showed no clear association with the SWB measures.

Conclusions

The neuroticism and extraversion scales were associated with health behaviours and BMI differently. The neuroticism scale, but not the extraversion scale, was strongly associated with higher perception of stress, poorer perceived health, and lower satisfaction with life in a Japanese population.

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Abbreviations

SWB:

Subjective well-being

MET:

Metabolic equivalent

ALT:

Alanine aminotransferase

AST:

Aspartate aminotransferase

OR:

Odds ratio

CI:

Confidence interval

BMI:

Body mass index

WHR:

Waist–hip ratio

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Grants-in-Aids for the 21st Century Center of Excellence Program (Kyushu University) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and for Scientific Research (A) (21249044) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan. The authors acknowledge support from the East Division of the Fukuoka City Medical Association in the baseline survey.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Preventive Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi 3-1-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan

    Jun Otonari, Jun Nagano, Makiko Morita, Sanjeev Budhathoki, Naotaka Tashiro, Kengo Toyomura & Suminori Kono

  2. Department of Geriatric Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

    Keizo Ohnaka

  3. Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

    Ryoichi Takayanagi

  4. Department of Radiobiology/Molecular Epidemiology, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan

    Kazue Imai

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  1. Jun Otonari
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  2. Jun Nagano
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Correspondence to Jun Otonari.

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Otonari, J., Nagano, J., Morita, M. et al. Neuroticism and extraversion personality traits, health behaviours, and subjective well-being: the Fukuoka Study (Japan). Qual Life Res 21, 1847–1855 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-011-0098-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-011-0098-y

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