TitleIs Healthy Neuroticism Associated with Health Behaviors? A Coordinated Integrative Data Analysis.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2020
AuthorsGraham, EK, Weston, SJ, Turiano, NA, Aschwanden, D, Booth, T, Harrison, F, James, BD, Lewis, NA, Makkar, SR, Mueller, S, Wisniewski, KM, Yoneda, T, Zhaoyang, R, Spiro, A, Willis, S, K Schaie, W, Sliwinski, MJ, Lipton, RA, Katz, MJ, Deary, IJ, Zelinski, EM, Bennett, DA, Sachdev, PS, Brodaty, H, Trollor, JN, Ames, D, Wright, MJ, Gerstorf, D, Allemand, M, Drewelies, J, Wagner, GG, Muniz-Terrera, G, Piccinin, AM, Hofer, SM, Mroczek, DK
JournalCollabra Psychol
Volume6
Issue1
Date Published2020
ISSN2474-7394
Abstract

<p>Current literature suggests that neuroticism is positively associated with maladaptive life choices, likelihood of disease, and mortality. However, recent research has identified circumstances under which neuroticism is associated with positive outcomes. The current project examined whether "healthy neuroticism", defined as the interaction of neuroticism and conscientiousness, was associated with the following health behaviors: smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity. Using a pre-registered multi-study coordinated integrative data analysis (IDA) approach, we investigated whether "healthy neuroticism" predicted the odds of engaging in each of the aforementioned activities. Each study estimated identical models, using the same covariates and data transformations, enabling optimal comparability of results. These results were then meta-analyzed in order to estimate an average (N-weighted) effect and to ascertain the extent of heterogeneity in the effects. Overall, these results suggest that neuroticism alone was not related to health behaviors, while individuals higher in conscientiousness were less likely to be smokers or drinkers, and more likely to engage in physical activity. In terms of the healthy neuroticism interaction of neuroticism and conscientiousness, significant interactions for smoking and physical activity suggest that the association between neuroticism and health behaviors was smaller among those high in conscientiousness. These findings lend credence to the idea that healthy neuroticism may be linked to certain health behaviors and that these effects are generalizable across several heterogeneous samples.</p>

DOI10.1525/collabra.266
Alternate JournalCollabra Psychol
PubMed ID33354649
PubMed Central IDPMC7751766
Grant ListRF1 AG064006 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG017917 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG056486 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P30 AG010161 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG032037 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG067622 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P01 AG003949 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
U19 AG051426 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P01 AG043362 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG055653 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG018436 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
T32 AG000037 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
K01 AG050823 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
MR/K026992/1 / MR / Medical Research Council / United Kingdom
R01 AG010569 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States