title: Association of personality traits with elder self-neglect in a community-dwelling population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Elder self-neglect is an important public health issue. However, little is known about the association between personality traits and risk of elder self-neglect among community-dwelling populations. The objectives of this study are as follows: 1) to examine the association of personality traits with elder self-neglect and 2) to examine the association of personality traits with elder self-neglect severity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based study conducted from 1993 to 2005 of community-dwelling older adults (N = 9,056) participating in the Chicago Health Aging Project (CHAP). Subsets of the CHAP participants (N = 1,820) were identified for suspected self-neglect by social services agency, which assessed the severity. Personality traits assessed included neuroticism, extraversion, rigidity, and information processing. Logistic and linear regressions were used to assess these associations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the bivariate analyses, personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, information processing, and rigidity) were significantly associated with increased risk of elder self-neglect. However, after adjusting for potential confounders, the above associations were no longer statistically significant. In addition, personality traits were not associated with increased risk of greater self-neglect severity. Furthermore, interaction term analyses of personality traits with health and psychosocial factors were not statistically significant with elder self-neglect outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neuroticism, extraversion, rigidity, and information processing were not associated with significantly increased risk of elder self-neglect after consideration of potential confounders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA. xinqi_dong@rush.edu
authors.forename: XinQi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McKinell
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Evans
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D002641:Chicago; D004552:Elder Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010551:Personality / Q000502:physiology*; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012306:Risk; D012307:Risk Factors; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology*; D057566:Self Report; D012720:Severity of Illness Index