title: Interaction of personality traits with social deprivation in determining mental wellbeing and health behaviours.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Associations between personality traits, mental wellbeing and good health behaviours were examined to understand further the social and psychological context of the health divide.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional study, 666 subjects recruited from areas of high and low socioeconomic deprivation had personality traits and mental wellbeing assessed, and lifestyle behaviours quantified. Regression models (using deprivation as a moderating variable) assessed the extent to which personality traits and mental wellbeing predicted health behaviour.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Deprived (vs. affluent) subjects exhibited similar levels of extraversion but higher levels of neuroticism and psychoticism, more hopelessness, less sense of coherence, lower self-esteem and lower self-efficacy (all P< 0.001). They ate less fruit and vegetables, smoked more and took less aerobic exercise (all P< 0.001). In the deprived group, personality traits were significantly more important predictors of mental wellbeing than in the least deprived group (P< 0.01 for interaction), and mental wellbeing and extraversion appeared more strongly related to good health behaviours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Persistence of a social divide in health may be related to interactions between personality, mental wellbeing and the adoption of good health behaviours in deprived areas. Effectiveness of health messages may be enhanced by accommodating the variation in the levels of extraversion, neuroticism, hopelessness and sense of coherence.
authors.affiliation: Glasgow Clinical Research Facility, 1st Floor, Tennent Building, 38 Church Street, Western Infirmary, Glasgow G11 6NT,  UK.
authors.forename: Chris J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Packard
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cavanagh
authors.forename: Jennifer S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: McLean
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McConnachie
authors.forename: Claudia-Martina
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Messow
authors.forename: G David
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Batty
authors.forename: Harry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Kevin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Deans
authors.forename: Naveed
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sattar
authors.forename: Paul G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Shiels
authors.forename: Yoga N
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Velupillai
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tannahill
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Millar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000145:classification*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010551:Personality / Q000145:classification*; D010556:Personality Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012606:Scotland; D012907:Smoking; D012923:Social Class