title: Associations between self-rated health and personality.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of our study was to examine how Big Five personality factors predict variability in self-rated health in a sample of older African Americans from the Baltimore Study of Black Aging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Personality was measured by the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised, and self-rated health was assessed by the Health Problems Checklist.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study sample had 202 women and 87 men. Ages ranged from 49 to 90 years (M = 67.2 years, SD = 8.55), and average years of formal education was 10.8 (SD = 3.3).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multiple linear regressions showed that neuroticism and extraversion were significant regression predictors of self-rated health, after controlling for demographic factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest individual personality traits may influence health ratings, behaviors, and decision-making among older African Americans.
authors.forename: Adrienne T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Aiken-Morgan
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bichsel
authors.forename: Jyoti
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Savla
authors.forename: Christopher L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Keith E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Whitfield
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D015142:Baltimore; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000075384:Neuroticism; D010551:Personality; D010555:Personality Inventory; D057566:Self Report