Mechanisms by which childhood personality traits influence adult health status: educational attainment and healthy behaviors.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to test a life span health behavior model in which educational attainment and health behaviors (eating habits, smoking, and physical activity) were hypothesized as mechanisms to account for relations between teacher ratings of childhood personality traits and self-reported health status at midlife.


METHODS
The model was tested on 1,054 members of the Hawaii Personality and Health cohort, which is a population-based cohort participating in a longitudinal study of personality and health spanning 40 years from childhood to midlife.


RESULTS
Childhood Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Intellect-Imagination influenced adult health status indirectly through educational attainment, healthy eating habits, and smoking. Several direct effects of childhood traits on health behaviors and health status were also observed.


CONCLUSIONS
The model extends past associations found between personality traits and health behaviors or health status by identifying a life-course pathway based on the health behavior model through which early childhood traits influence adult health status. The additional direct effects of personality traits indicate that health behavior mechanisms may not provide a complete account of relations between personality and health.
Hampson
Sarah E
SE
Department of Psychology, School of Human Science, University of Surrey and Oregon Research Institute, Guilford, United Kingdom. sarah@ori.org
Goldberg
Lewis R
LR
Vogt
Thomas M
TM
Dubanoski
Joan P
JP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002322:Career Mobility; D002605:Character; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006254:Hawaii; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010553:Personality Development; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013223:Statistics as Topic