Personality and the healthy lifestyle as predictors of physical health: Can the healthy lifestyle be explained by personality?

In health and epidemiological research, the Healthy Lifestyle (HLS) is often invoked as an explanation for inconsistent effects. Modifiable components of the HLS are advocated as a panacea for the most common threats to public health. Biases resulting from the HLS are theorized to result from covariance among its components. This covariance has not yet been formally modeled. Furthermore, no mechanism has been proposed to explain this covariance among these factors. Using three large nationally representative samples, I evaluated the HLS as a latent variable. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) I evaluated the degree to which the shared variance of HLS components is accounted for by personality traits, and tested the HLS as a mediator of the personality health relationship. Across all three samples, the HLS fits well as a latent variable, is partially accounted for by personality traits, and mediates the effects of personality traits on health. In all cases personality traits have direct effects on health independent of the HLS. These results suggest that the utility of personality traits as predictors of health exceeds that provided by commonly used lifestyle predictors.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• Edmonds, Grant W.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Roberts, Brent W.
• Fraley, R.C.
• Larrison, Christopher R.
• Mroczek, Daniel K.
• Rounds, James

• The healthy lifestyle
• Personality
• Big five
• Mediation
• Individual Differences
• Healthy user Bias
• Structural equation modeling (SEM)
• Traits

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2011 Grant W. Edmonds

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/24269

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/24269