Longitudinal findings from the Normative Aging Study: III. Personality, individual health trajectories, and mortality.
Individual differences in physical and psychological health trajectories were examined in 1,515 Normative Aging Study men. Mean age at baseline was 47.15 years (range = 28-80), and average follow up was 18.55 years (range = 8-25). Both linear and nonlinear growth curves were estimated with random-effects models and then clustered to identify patterns of change. Men whose physical health trajectories were characterized by high, increasing symptoms were higher in hostility and anxiety, were overweight, and smoked. Those whose trajectories were characterized by low symptoms were emotionally stable, educated, nonsmokers, and thin. Men with high, stable psychological trajectories had high hostility; those with low, stable trajectories had high emotional stability; those with moderate anxiety levels had nonlinear trajectories with peaks in psychological symptoms at different life stages. Personality had life-long effects on health trajectories, but these effects varied across traits and health outcomes.
Aldwin
C M
CM
Department of Human and Community Development, University of California, Davis 95616, USA. cmaldwin@ucdavis.edu
Spiro
A
A
Levenson
M R
MR
Cupertino
A P
AP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003321:Cornell Medical Index; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008136:Longevity; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D010553:Personality Development; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors