Rationality/antiemotionality personality and selected chronic diseases in a community population in Japan.
OBJECTIVE
To clarify the relationships of the rationality/antiemotionality (R/A) personality with past histories of seven chronic diseases and current smoking habits in a community population in Japan.


METHODS
A questionnaire survey was conducted of all residents aged 35 years old or over (n = 37,287) in Takayama city, Gifu prefecture, Japan; the response rate was 90.3%. Data from 13,091 males and 14,061 females who completed all relevant questions were analyzed. The subjects were asked to complete an 11-item R/A personality scale developed by Grossarth-Maticek et al. (1985). Past histories of seven major chronic diseases and current smoking habit were also asked in the questionnaire.


RESULTS
Among males, the R/A scale score was significantly lower in those who had stroke, diabetes or allergy than in those who did not. Among females, the R/A scale score was significantly lower in those who had stroke, allergy or stomach cancer than in those who did not. Among females, current smokers had significantly lower R/A scores than non-smokers. After controlling for age, smoking and drinking, the R/A score was significantly and negatively associated with stroke among males and females; it was significantly and negatively associated with diabetes and allergy among males.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings are contrary to those observed in Yugoslavia and West Germany, and suggest a cultural difference in the relationship between the R/A personality and disease occurrence.
Terada
K
K
Department of Public Health, Gifu University School of Medicine, Japan.
Kawakami
N
N
Inaba
S
S
Takatsuka
N
N
Shimizu
H
H
D000328:Adult; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D010551:Personality; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*