SynthesisThe journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences2012
Personality trait level and change as predictors of health outcomes: findings from a national study of Americans (MIDUS).
Synthesis in The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 98 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
98 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Personality traits and mediating pathways to mortality risk: A systematic review.Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association · 2024Pooled it
- Self-reported experiences of discrimination and health: scientific advances, ongoing controversies, and emerging issues.Annual review of clinical psychology · 2015Pooled it
- Psychological characteristics and functional abilities in older adults with subjective cognitive complaints: A potential new target for early intervention.International psychogeriatrics · 2026Trial
- Personality traits and physical activity in middle-aged and older adults: a rapid review of evidence and interventions.The Gerontologist · 2026Review
- Personality Traits and Social Isolation in Older Adults.JAMA network open · 2026Article
- Predicting hypertension through big five personality traits: a four-year longitudinal study in Japan.BMC psychology · 2025Article
- Subjective Health Literacy and Personality in Older Adults: Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness as Key Predictors-A Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Associations of personality trait level and change with mortality risk in 11 longitudinal studies.Journal of personality and social psychology · 2025Article
- Multilevel obstacles to heart-healthy living in the context of Ischemic heart disease: A qualitative study.PloS one · 2025Article
- Negative Emotional Reactivity and Somatic Symptoms during Adolescence Predict Adult Health and Wellbeing in Early and Middle Adulthood.Journal of youth and adolescence · 2024Article
- Article
- Rural-urban differences in personality traits and well-being in adulthood.Journal of personality · 2024Article
- Personality and gender prototypes for predicting health: a multilevel and cluster analysis.Archives of women's mental health · 2024Review
- Are trajectories of personality and socioeconomic factors prospectively associated with midlife cognitive function? Findings from a 12-year longitudinal study of Mexican-origin adults.Psychology and aging · 2023Article
- Does personality always matter for health? Examining the moderating effect of age on the personality-health link from life span developmental and aging perspectives.Journal of personality and social psychology · 2023Article
- The Influence of Personality Type on Patient Outcome Measures and Therapeutic Alliance in Patients with Low Back Pain.NeuroSci · 2023Article
- Do Older Adults Adjust Their Control Beliefs According to Changes in Mobility Limitations? Evidence From a Large-Scale Observational Study.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2023Observational
- Diabetes Moderates the Link between Personality Traits and Self-Rated Health (SRH).Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Who Has Active Lifestyles? Sociodemographic and Personality Correlates of Activity Diversity in Two Samples of Adults.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2023Article
- The Role of Personality Risk and Protective Factors in Living with Covid-19: A Longitudinal Study.Journal of adult development · 2023Article
38 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesPersonality traits predict numerous health outcomes, but previous studies have rarely used personality change to predict health.
methodsThe current investigation utilized a large national sample of 3,990 participants from the Midlife in the U.S. study (MIDUS) to examine if both personality trait level and personality change longitudinally predict 3 different health outcomes (i.e., self-rated physical health, self-reported blood pressure, and number of days limited at work or home due to physical health reasons) over a 10-year span.
resultsEach of the Big Five traits, except openness, predicted self-rated health. Change in agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extraversion also predicted self-rated health. Trait levels of conscientiousness and neuroticism level predicted self-reported blood pressure. All trait levels except agreeableness predicted number of work days limited. Only change in conscientiousness predicted the number of work days limited. DISCUSSION: Findings demonstrate that a full understanding of the link between personality and health requires consideration of trait change as well as trait level.
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