title: Predictability of levels of physical and mental health: a 2 year longitudinal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the social, family, personality traits and health locus of control factors which influence physical and mental health, consumption of medications, and frequency of medical consultations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty participants were included in a two years long longitudinal study. At baseline, the participants' age, gender, family composition, net income, chronic treatments, family dynamics (Family Adaptation and Cohesion Scale), Multidimensional Health Locus of Control, and personality (NEO Personality Inventory) were recorded. Every six months their state of mental and physical health (12 Survey Factors and Hamilton Depression Scale), consumption of medications, and number of medical consultations were reassessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regarding mental, and physical health, and scores on the Hamilton Depression Scale we can explain 50% of the variance, of which 25% accounts for age or for the number of persons living together, 15% accounts for the cohesion of the actual couple or nuclear family and 10% on account for neuroticism or on the Internal HLC. With regard to the number of medications and consultations only 30% of the variance is accounted for: 10% for gender, 10% for the cohesion of the ideal family and 10% for neuroticism or extraversion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results can obviously be used in the field of secondary prevention, for example in raising GPs' awareness to the typical profile of patients who are at risk of mental or physical health problems. Ideally these results should also serve for primary prevention, but how can we influence demographic variables, family cohesion or personality?
authors: Université Catholique de Louvain, Clinic of Mont-Godinne, Belgium. nicolas.zdanowicz@uclouvain.be
authors: Nicolas
authors: N
authors: Zdanowicz
authors: Brice
authors: B
authors: Lepiece
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Tordeurs
authors: Denis
authors: D
authors: Jacques
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Reynaert
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult