The relationships of a rationality/antiemotionality personality scale to mortalities of cancer and cardiovascular disease in a community population in Japan.
OBJECTIVE
Grossarth-Maticek et al. reported that an individual's level on a rationality/antiemotionality (R/A) personality was strongly predictive of cancer, ischemic heart disease and stroke mortality. To investigate the relationships of an individual's level on the R/A personality to cancer and cardiovascular disease mortality in Japan, we conducted a population-based cohort study.


METHODS
A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 36990 Japanese residents in September 1992. The response rate was 90.3%. Data from 13226 males and 14880 females were analyzed. Dates and causes of death through December 31, 1999 were obtained for deceased participants.


RESULTS
The results from multivariate hazard ratios (HRs) revealed that males scoring in the middle level compared to those scoring in the lower level of the R/A personality scale decreased their risk of death from cancer and cardiovascular diseases after controlling for covariates.


CONCLUSIONS
The level on the R/A personality scale may affect mortality from cancer and cardiovascular diseases differently in Japan.
Hirokawa
Kumi
K
Department of Public Health, Gifu University, School of Medicine, 40 Tsukasa-machi, Gifu 500-8705, Japan. k-umi@cc.gifu-ac.jp
Nagata
Chisato
C
Takatsuka
Naoyoshi
N
Shimizu
Hiroyuki
H
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality*; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires