title: Association of personality, neighbourhood, and civic participation with the level of perceived social support: the HUNT study, a cross-sectional survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the current study was to examine the association of personality, neighbourhood, and civic participation with the level of perceived social support if needed.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consists of a total of 35,797 men (16,035) and women (19,762) drawn from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study 3 (HUNT3), aged 20-89, with a fully completed short version of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) including a complete response to questions regarding perceived social support. A multinomial logistic regression model was used to investigate the association between the three-category outcomes (high, medium, and low) of perceived social support.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Chi-square test detected a significant (p < 0.001) association between personality, sense of community, civic participation, self-rated health, living arrangement, age groups, gender, and perceived social support, except between perceived social support and loss of social network, in which no significance was found. The crude and adjusted multinomial logistic regression models show a relation between medium and low scores on perceived social support, personality, and sources of social support. Interactions were observed between gender and self-rated health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is an association between the level of perceived social support and personality, sense of community in the neighbourhood, and civic participation. Even if the interaction between men and self-reported health decreases the odds for low and medium social support, health professionals should be aware of men with poor health and their lack of social support.
authors: Department of Health Science, Nord-Trøndelag University College, Namsos, Norway. siv.grav@hint.no
authors: Siv
authors: S
authors: Grav
authors: Ulla
authors: U
authors: Romild
authors: Ove
authors: O
authors: Hellzèn
authors: Eystein
authors: E
authors: Stordal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003256:Community Participation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D060685:Sense of Coherence; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Perceived social support; civic participation and gender; extroversion; general population survey; neuroticism; sense of community