Study links personality profiles to physical activity and sedentary behavior in aging.

A study by the Gerontology Research Centre and the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä found associations between personality traits and patterns of physical activity and sedentary behavior. People with high conscientiousness and extraversion were more likely to engage in extended periods of both physical activity and sedentary behavior, while those scoring higher in neuroticism tended to interrupt their sedentary behavior more frequently (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Do personality profiles contribute to patterns of physical activity and sedentary behavior in adulthood? A prospective cohort study

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The study followed the personality traits of the same individuals when they were 33, 42, 50, and 61 years old. It formed personality profiles, representing unique combinations of the personality traits of neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness, openness and agreeableness.

Personality Profiles and Their Impact on Physical Activity and Health

“We identified five personality trait profiles: resilient, brittle, overcontrolled, undercontrolled and ordinary,” says research director Katja Kokko.

In previous research based on the same data, personality profiles have been linked to self-assessed health.

“Individuals who belonged to the resilient profile had the highest level of self-assessed health whereas those with a brittle profile had the lowest level of self-assessed health.”

The recent study combined, for the first time, data on personality trait profiles with device-based metrics of daily physical activity and sedentary behavior measured at age 61. The personality profiles differed in their usual lengths of time spent in physical activity and sedentary behavior.

Individuals with a resilient profile accumulated both their physical activity and sedentary behavior in longer periods, while those with a brittle profile interrupted their sedentary behavior more frequently.

Personality Profiles and Physical Activity Patterns in Aging

“The findings may indicate that those with a resilient profile, characterized by high conscientiousness and extraversion, engage more likely in scheduled sport activities,” says doctoral researcher Johanna Ahola. “On the other hand, people with a brittle profile, described by high neuroticism, may feel unease to stay sedentary for long periods of time, and prefer light activities.

“Neuroticism has often been associated with higher levels of sedentary behavior. However, in our study, those with a brittle profile interrupted their sedentary behavior often, which is of course beneficial for health.”

The study also examined the relationship between personality profiles and the ratio of physical activity to sedentary behavior, which has been shown to be meaningful for the risk of mortality among people over 50 in a previous study by other researchers. When the proportion of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity exceeded one-tenth of the time spent sedentary, the 10-year mortality risk decreased more steeply.

“Although there were no statistically significant differences between the personality profiles in either the amounts of physical activity and sedentary behavior or the ratios between the two, the results remain interesting. In light of the existing knowledge, the ratios of individuals with resilient and ordinary profiles were particularly favorable in our study,” concludes Johanna Ahola.

Reference:

1. Do personality profiles contribute to patterns of physical activity and sedentary behavior in adulthood? A prospective cohort study – (https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-024-01662-y)

Source-Medindia