Personality assessment based on the five-factor model of personality structure in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma.
OBJECTIVE
Several characteristic personality types have been reported for glaucoma patients in previous studies. However, none of the previous studies used a common structural theory of personality. In this study, we conducted a multicenter cross-sectional case-control study using the recently established five-factor model of personality structure.


METHODS
Personality was evaluated using the Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), which is a questionnaire specifically designed to test the five-factor model of personality: neuroticism (N), extraversion (E), openness (O), agreeableness (A), and conscientiousness (C). Eligible questionnaires were obtained from 196 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) (99 men, 97 women) and 223 reference subjects with no ocular disease except cataract (87 men, 136 women). The mean score of each NEO-FFI factor for POAG patients was compared to the scores for the reference subjects.


RESULTS
Compared with the reference subjects, the mean N score was significantly higher (P = 0.013), the mean scores for A and C were significantly lower (P = 0.007 and P = 0.001, respectively), and the mean E score tended to be lower (P = 0.055) in male POAG patients. The mean E score was significantly lower (P = 0.023) in female POAG patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Characteristic personality traits were noted in POAG patients, and a more significant relationship was found between personality and glaucoma in men than in women.
Mabuchi
Fumihiko
F
Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi 409-3898, Japan.
Yoshimura
Kimio
K
Kashiwagi
Kenji
K
Shioe
Kunihiko
K
Kanba
Shigenobu
S
Iijima
Hiroyuki
H
Tsukahara
Shigeo
S
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D010551:Personality / Q000502:physiology*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D010556:Personality Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires