The objective of this project is to use the unique opportunities offered by the Hawaii Personality and Health Cohort to evaluate hypotheses about the mechanisms by which childhood personality traits influence metabolic health status 40 or so years later. The cohort has reached the ideal age to study the metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of clinical abnormalites that significantly increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease as well as cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.
Aim (1) is to assess the midlife metabolic health of participants using dichotomous measures based on the criteria specified by the World Health Organization and by the National Cholesterol Education Panel, and by a continuous measure of metabolic health.
Aim (2) is to evaluate three models of life-course personality pathways from childhood personality traits to midlife metabolic health that incorporate behavioral, social, and environmental events over the life-course: the Conscientiousness-Unconscientiousness pathway; the Agreeableness- Hostility pathway; and the Emotional-Stability pathway. The influence of combinations of these traits on metabolic health will also be evaluated. To accomplish these aims, the project will assess the metabolic health of participants and conduct longitudinal data analyses using the archived data for approximately 500 members of the cohort. These archives include childhood personality assessments obtained approximately 40 years ago when the participants were in elementary school in Oahu or Kauai; extensive survey data obtained over the past 5-year period during midlife (45-55 years); and data from a comprehensive medical anthropometric, personality, and cognitive examination conducted within the past 3 years. At this examination, blood samples were collected and stored (frozen) for future analyses. For this project, a portion of this stored specimen will be retrieved and assayed to complete the necessary tests for a comprehensive assessment of metabolic health that meets internationally accepted standards. Consistent with the mission of NIA, by investigating the early predictors of midlife metabolic syndrome, this project is designed to improve the health and well-being of older Americans. The findings will potentially open up a new approach to the prevention of chronic diseases of middle age, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This project may identify childhood traits that are risk factors for health-damaging life-course pathways, and demonstrate that childhood personality traits make unique and direct contributions to the prediction of midlife metabolic health. Such findings will suggest that current efforts to prevent metabolic disorder and its consequences by modifying (or compensating for) adult lifestyle can be augmented by new avenues for early prevention. Intervening in childhood on factors that initiate pathways to health-damaging lifestyle habits, and/or targeting at-risk children for lifestyle intervention opens up new opportunities to improve later health. ? ? ?
| Hampson, Sarah E; Edmonds, Grant W; Goldberg, Lewis R et al. (2013) Childhood conscientiousness relates to objectively measured adult physical health four decades later. Health Psychol 32:925-8 |
| Chapman, Benjamin P; Goldberg, Lewis R (2011) Replicability and 40-year predictive power of childhood ARC types. J Pers Soc Psychol 101:593-606 |
