Associations of self-reports versus spouse ratings of negative affectivity, dominance, and affiliation with coronary artery disease: where should we look and who should we ask when studying personality and health?
OBJECTIVE
Aspects of negative affect and social behavior studied as risk factors for coronary heart disease are usually examined separately and through self-reports. Using structural models of these personality domains, we tested associations of self-reports and spouse ratings of anxiety, depressive symptoms, anger, affiliation and dominance with coronary artery disease (CAD).


METHODS
In 154 healthy older couples, the authors tested cross-sectional associations with CAD of three facets of negative affectivity and two dimensions of the Interpersonal Circumplex, (IPC) using scales derived from the NEO-PI-R.


METHODS
CAD was quantified as Agatston scores from CT scans of coronary artery calcification (CAC).


RESULTS
Self-reports were generally unrelated to CAC, whereas spouse ratings were consistently associated, largely independent of potential confounds. When considered simultaneously, anxiety and anger were related to CAC but depression was not. When considered together, both dominance and (low) affiliation were related to CAC.


CONCLUSIONS
Structural models of negative affectivity and social behavior can facilitate integrative study of psychosocial risk factors. Further, self-report measures of these traits might under-estimate related CHD risk.
Smith
Timothy W
TW
Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA. tim.smith@psych.utah.edu
Uchino
Bert N
BN
Berg
Cynthia A
CA
Florsheim
Paul
P
Pearce
Gale
G
Hawkins
Melissa
M
Henry
Nancy J M
NJ
Beveridge
Ryan M
RM
Skinner
Michelle A
MA
Hopkins
Paul N
PN
Yoon
Hyo-Chun
HC
D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000786:Anger; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D010551:Personality; D010552:Personality Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012930:Social Dominance; D018454:Spouses; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires