Personality and HbA1c: Findings from six samples

Comparison of Metabolic Control in Children and Adolescents Treated with Insulin Pumps

BACKGROUND

While insulin pumps remain the most common form of therapy for youths with type 1 diabetes (T1DM), they differ in the extent to which they utilize data from continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and automate insulin delivery.

METHODS

The aim of the study was to compare metabolic control in patients using different models of insulin pumps. This retrospective single-center study randomly sampled 30 patients for each of the following treatments: Medtronic 720G without PLGS (predictive low glucose suspend), Medtronic 640G or 740G with PLGS and Medtronic 780G. In the whole study group, we used CGM systems to assess patients' metabolic control, and we collected lipid profiles. In three groups of patients, we utilized CGM sensors (Guardian 3, Guardian 4, Libre 2 and Dexcom G6) to measure the following glycemic variability proxy values: time in range (TIR), time below 70 mg/dL (TBR), time above 180 mg/dL (TAR), coefficient of variation (CV) and mean sensor glucose.

RESULTS

Medtronic 640G or 740G and 780G users were more likely to achieve a target time in the target range 70-180 mg/dL (≥80%) [Medtronic 720G = 4 users (13.3%) vs. Medtronic 640G/740G = 10 users (33.3%) vs. Medtronic 780G = 13 users (43.3%); p = 0.0357)] or low glucose variability [Medtronic 720G = 9 users (30%) vs. Medtronic 640G/740G = 18 users (60%) vs. Medtronic 780G = 19 users (63.3%); p = 0.0175)].

CONCLUSIONS

Any integration between the insulin pump and CGM was associated with better glycemic control. More advanced technologies and artificial intelligence in diabetes help patients maintain better glycemia by eliminating various factors affecting postprandial glycemia.

Correlations between personality traits, personality disorders, and immunometabolic markers

Evidence links immune system alterations to major psychiatric disorders. The few previous studies on personality traits or personality disorders (PDs) indicate that immunometabolic dysregulation may be prevalent in this population. This study aimed to investigate relationships between personality traits, PDs, and immunometabolic markers in peripheral blood. We hypothesized that neuroticism would be correlated with elevated leptin. Participants were recruited as young adults seeking care for general psychiatric disorders. They responded to a personality inventory and were assessed for PDs, and reevaluated again at a 12 years follow-up. Blood samples were collected at the follow-up and analyzed for 29 immunometabolic markers. A positive correlation was found between the personality trait neuroticism and leptin (ρ = 0.31, p = 0.02). An exploratory analysis also revealed a positive correlation between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (ρ = 0.36, p < 0.01) and neuroticism. These findings remained after adjusting for other variables in general linear models. There were no relationships between PDs and any immunometabolic markers. Results both confirm previous findings of correlations between the immunometabolic system and personality traits and suggest directions for future research.

Association of Personality Traits and Self-Care Behaviors in People With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Diabetes self-care is critical for individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and exploring the impact of personality traits on this domain remains pivotal. This study aimed to investigate the association between personality traits and various dimensions of self-care in people with T2DM. A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA)-guided systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted. Two reviewers independently screened articles, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias. Estimates were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. Twenty-three studies, that met our inclusion criteria, revealed distinct associations between certain personality traits and various aspects of self-care. Notably, traits such as openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness showed associations with improved foot care compliance (odds ratio (OR) = 2.53, 95% CI = 1.49-4.28; OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.10-3.08; and OR = 2.07, 95% CI = 1.23-3.48, respectively). Openness was also linked to better overall self-care behaviors (OR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.17-3.41), while conscientiousness correlated with reduced smoking (OR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.93-0.99), and agreeableness was associated with improved medication adherence (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.34-2.31). Conversely, traits like extraversion and neuroticism showed associations with decreased medication adherence (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.61-0.96 and OR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.40-0.65, respectively), with neuroticism additionally linked to lower overall self-care behaviors (OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.55-0.81). This study emphasizes the intricate role of personality traits in shaping self-care practices in individuals with T2DM, underscoring the significance of factoring these traits into tailoring and improving diabetes self-care strategies. Nevertheless, establishing definitive causal relationships mandates further in-depth longitudinal investigations and broader meta-analyses to achieve a more conclusive understanding.

Measures of physical performance as mediators between personality and cognition in two prospective studies

Few studies have examined the pathways linking personality to cognition. This study aimed to examine whether measures of physical performance (gait speed, peak expiratory flow (PEF), and grip strength) mediated the association between five-factor model personality traits and cognition (memory performance, subjective memory, and informant-rated cognition). Participants were aged 57 to 95 years from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, N = 4,109) and the English Longitudinal Study of ageing (ELSA, N = 3,584). In HRS, personality and demographic factors were assessed in 2008/2010, physical performance in 2012/2014, and memory performance and subjective memory in 2016/2018. Informant-rated cognition was obtained in 2016 for an HRS subsample. In ELSA, personality and demographic factors were assessed in 2010/2011, physical performance in 2012/2013, and objective and subjective memory in 2014/2015. Informant-rated cognition was obtained in 2018 for an ELSA subsample. With a few exceptions, replicable patterns of mediation were found across HRS and ELSA. Slower gait speed partially mediated the association between higher neuroticism, lower conscientiousness and worse scores on all three cognitive measures (memory performance, subjective memory, and informant-rated cognition). Slower gait also partially mediated the association between openness and both objective and subjective memory. There was less replicable evidence for a mediating role of PEF and grip strength. The present study advances knowledge on the pathways linking personality to cognition in older adults and supports the hypothesis that personality associations with better physical function can help support healthy cognitive aging.

Personality associations with lung function and dyspnea: Evidence from six studies

OBJECTIVE

The present study examined the association between Five Factor Model personality traits and lung function and dyspnea.

METHODS

Participants were middle aged and older adults aged 34-103 years old (N > 25,000) from the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS), the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), the National Health and Aging Trends Survey (NHATS), and the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study graduate (WLSG) and sibling (WLSS) samples. Data on peak expiratory flow (PEF), dyspnea, personality traits, smoking, physical activity, body mass index (BMI), emotional/psychiatric problems, and demographic factors were obtained in each sample.

RESULTS

A meta-analysis indicated that higher neuroticism was related to lower PEF, higher risk of PEF less than 80% of predicted value, and higher risk of dyspnea. In contrast, higher extraversion and conscientiousness were associated with higher PEF, lower likelihood of PEF lower than 80% of the predicted value, and lower risk of dyspnea. Higher openness was related to higher PEF and lower risk of PEF less than 80%, whereas agreeableness was related to higher PEF and lower risk of dyspnea. Smoking, physical activity, BMI and emotional/psychiatric problems partially accounted for these associations. There was little evidence that lung disease moderated the association between personality and PEF and dyspnea.

CONCLUSIONS

Across cohorts, this study found replicable evidence that personality is associated with lung function and associated symptomatology.

Personality and weight management in adults with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review

Aims

Managing weight in the context of type 2 diabetes presents unique hormonal, medicinal, behavioural and psychological challenges. The relationship between weight management and personality has previously been reviewed for general and cardiovascular disease populations but is less well understood in diabetes. This systematic review investigated the relationship between personality constructs and weight management outcomes and behaviours among adults with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

Medline, PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO and SPORTDiscus databases were searched to July 2021. Eligibility: empirical quantitative studies; English language; adults with type 2 diabetes; investigation of personality-weight management association. Search terms included variants of: diabetes, physical activity, diet, body mass index (BMI), adiposity, personality constructs and validated scales. A narrative synthesis, with quality assessment, was conducted.

Results

Seventeen studies were identified: nine cross-sectional, six cohort and two randomised controlled trials (N=6,672 participants, range: 30-1,553). Three studies had a low risk of bias. Personality measurement varied. The Big Five and Type D personality constructs were the most common measures. Higher emotional instability (neuroticism, negative affect, anxiety, unmitigated communion and external locus of control) was negatively associated with healthy diet and physical activity, and positively associated with BMI. Conscientiousness had positive associations with healthy diet and physical activity and negative associations with BMI and anthropometric indices.

Conclusions

Among adults with type 2 diabetes, evidence exists of a relationship between weight management and personality, specifically, negative emotionality and conscientiousness. Consideration of personality may be important for optimising weight management and further research is warranted.

Systematic review registration

www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42019111002.

Five-factor model personality traits and grip strength: Meta-analysis of seven studies

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between Five-Factor Model personality traits and grip strength.

METHOD

Adults aged 16 to 104 years old (N > 40,000) were from the Health and Retirement Study, the Midlife in the United States Study, The English Longitudinal Study of Aging, the National Health and Aging Trends Survey, the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study, and the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study graduate and sibling samples. Participants had data on personality traits, demographic factors, grip strength, and mediators such as depressive symptoms, physical activity, body mass index (BMI), and c-reactive protein (CRP).

RESULTS

Across all samples and a meta-analysis, higher neuroticism was related to lower grip strength (meta-analytic estimate: -0.07, 95%CI: -0.075; -0.056). Higher extraversion (0.04, 95%CI: 0.022; 0.060), openness (0.05, 95%CI: 0.032; 0.062), and conscientiousness (0.05, 95%CI: 0.04; 0.065) were associated with higher grip strength across most samples and the meta-analysis. Depressive symptoms were the most consistent mediators between neuroticism and grip strength. Depressive symptoms and physical activity partly mediated the associations with extraversion, openness, and conscientiousness. Lower CRP partly mediated the association with conscientiousness. Sex moderated the associations for extraversion, openness, and conscientiousness, with stronger associations among males. Age moderated the neuroticism association, with stronger associations among younger individuals.

CONCLUSION

This study provides replicable evidence that personality is related to grip strength and identifies potential moderators and mediators of these associations. Overall, higher neuroticism is a risk factor for low grip strength, whereas high extraversion, openness, and conscientiousness may be protective.

Culture and Health: Recent Developments and Future Directions 1

Evidence of cultural differences in relationships and emotions has accumulated over the past few decades. As findings on cultural differences in psychological processes have accumulated, there has been growing interest in investigating whether they have implications for other phenomena such as health. Using scientific advances from the MIDUS and MIDJA studies, both publicly available, we examine links between culture and health. We first briefly review the accumulated evidence on cultural influences on health correlates of psychosocial factors. We then feature two recent developments - a more micro-level perspective on biological factors that may be involved in the culture and health linkage, and a more macro-level view of socioeconomic inequality, which also matters for health. Both perspectives inform the pathways through which health effects occur. Finally, we conclude our review by highlighting the changing historical contexts surrounding these cross-cultural investigations. Specifically, we draw attention to widening of economic inequality across cultures and the world-wide COVID-19 pandemic. These happenings bring notable implications for future research on health across cultural contexts.