@article {11712, title = {The Association Between Facets of Conscientiousness and Performance-based and Informant-Rated Cognition, Affect, and Activities in Older Adults.}, journal = {Journal of Personality}, volume = {90}, year = {2022}, pages = {121-132}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: To identify facets of Conscientiousness associated with objective cognitive performance, informant-rated cognitive decline, and informant-rated affect and activities implicated in cognitive health.

METHOD: Health and Retirement Study participants (N=2,516) reported on their personality, completed a comprehensive cognitive assessment, and had knowledgeable informants report on their cognition, affect, and activities.

RESULTS: Industriousness and responsibility were associated with better cognitive performance; order was associated with less informant-rated cognitive decline. The facets were also associated with more positive affect, less negative affect, greater engagement in cognitive activities and activities outside the house, and less engagement in passive activities, as rated by a knowledgeable informant. Informant-rated engagement in cognitive activities mediated the association between self-reported responsibility and objective cognitive performance.

CONCLUSIONS: Tendencies toward achievement and accountability were associated with healthier cognitive performance and daily profiles that support cognitive health, whereas organization was associated with cognition as reported by a knowledgeable informant. The differential pattern of correlates is informative for the theoretical processes that link distinct facets of Conscientiousness to healthier cognitive aging.

}, keywords = {attention, cognitive function, Conscientiousness, Facets, Five factor model, Memory}, issn = {1467-6494}, doi = {10.1111/jopy.12657}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Damaris Aschwanden and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {11386, title = {The Association Between Five Factor Model Personality Traits and Verbal and Numeric Reasoning.}, journal = {Neuropsychology, Development, and Cognition. Section B, Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition}, volume = {29}, year = {2022}, pages = {297-317}, abstract = {

Five-factor model (FFM) personality traits are related to basic cognitive functions and risk of cognitive impairment in late life. The present study addresses whether FFM traits are also associated with a more complex cognitive function, reasoning, across adulthood. We used seven samples to examine the relation between personality and verbal (total =~39,177) and numeric (total =~76,388) reasoning. A meta-analysis indicated higher Neuroticism was associated modestly with worse performance on verbal and numeric reasoning tasks. Openness was associated with better verbal reasoning and was unrelated to numeric reasoning. Surprisingly, Extraversion was associated modestly with worse performance in both domains, and Conscientiousness was essentially unrelated to reasoning. Agreeableness was unrelated to reasoning. There was significant heterogeneity across the samples but only limited evidence for moderation by age or sex. Consistent with other cognitive domains, the results suggested that Neuroticism is related to worse performance globally, whereas Openness tends to be associated with better verbal abilities. Among the unexpected findings was the better reasoning of introverts. The pattern also suggests that the common positive association between Conscientiousness and cognition does not extend to reasoning and suggests that Conscientiousness may support healthier cognitive aging through basic cognitive functions rather than through complex functions like reasoning.

}, keywords = {meta-analysis, numeric reasoning, Personality Traits, Reasoning, verbal abilities}, issn = {1744-4128}, doi = {10.1080/13825585.2021.1872481}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Martina Luchetti and Jason E Strickhouser and Damaris Aschwanden and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {11625, title = {Cognitive Impairment and the Trajectory of Loneliness in Older Adulthood: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {Journal of Aging and Health}, volume = {34}, year = {2022}, pages = {3-13}, abstract = {

To examine whether the trajectory of facets of loneliness-emotional and social-varied by cognitive impairment status in older adulthood. Data came from the Health and Retirement Study 2008-2018 waves ( = 15,352). Cognitive impairment was assessed using standard cutoffs for cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND) and dementia. The 11-item UCLA loneliness scale was used to measure emotional and social loneliness. Using multilevel modeling, we found that CIND and dementia status were associated with higher overall, emotional, and social loneliness, controlling for physical health, social contact, and depressive symptoms. The trajectory of loneliness did not vary by cognitive status. There were modest variations by sociodemographic factors. Persons with CIND and dementia experience heightened emotional and social loneliness, but cognitive impairment does not contribute to the worsening of loneliness. Older adults{\textquoteright} social integration may be maintained early in cognitive impairment.

}, keywords = {cognitive impairment, cognitive impairment no dementia, Dementia, Loneliness}, issn = {1552-6887}, doi = {10.1177/08982643211019500}, author = {Lee, Ji Hyun and Martina Luchetti and Damaris Aschwanden and Sesker, Amanda A and Jason E Strickhouser and Antonio Terracciano and Angelina R Sutin} } @article {11832, title = {Pathways from early life SES to dementia risk in old age: The role of personality.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology, Series B}, volume = {77}, year = {2022}, pages = {850-859}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the association between childhood socioeconomic status (cSES) and risk of cognitive impairment in older adulthood, and whether Five Factor Model personality traits mediated this association.

METHODS: A sample of 9,995 participants (mean age = 67.01 years) from the Health and Retirement Study were followed every two years from 2006 to 2018. cSES was tested as a predictor of risk of dementia and risk of cognitive impairment not dementia (CIND). Personality was tested as a mediator of these associations. Models were adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity, race, education, and baseline year.

RESULTS: Although effect sizes were modest, results indicated that lower cSES was associated with higher risk of dementia (HR=0.88, [0.775, 0.985]). Higher cSES was also associated with higher Conscientiousness and lower Neuroticism. Conscientiousness and Neuroticism each accounted for 7.9\% of the total effect of cSES on dementia. Results were similar for CIND.

CONCLUSIONS: Early childhood socioeconomic factors may contribute to cognitive impairment in older adulthood, an association mediated, in part, through adult personality traits.

}, keywords = {CIND, Conscientiousness, cSES, Dementia, Neuroticism}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbab159}, author = {Sesker, Amanda A and O{\textquoteright}S{\'u}illeabh{\'a}in, P{\'a}raic S and Lee, Ji Hyun and Damaris Aschwanden and Martina Luchetti and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano and Angelina R Sutin} } @article {12223, title = {Personality and subjective age: Evidence from six samples.}, journal = {Psychology and Aging}, volume = {37}, year = {2022}, pages = {401-412}, abstract = {

Subjective age is associated with health-related outcomes across adulthood. The present study examined the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between personality traits and subjective age. Participants ( > 31,000) were from the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS), the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the National Health and Aging Study (NHATS), the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Graduate (WLSG) and Siblings (WLSS) samples, and the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA). Demographic factors, personality traits, and subjective age were assessed at baseline. Subjective age was assessed again in the MIDUS, the HRS, and the NHATS, 4 to almost 20 years later. Across the samples and a meta-analysis, higher neuroticism was related to an older subjective age, whereas higher extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were associated with a younger subjective age. Self-rated health, physical activity, chronic conditions, and depressive symptoms partially mediated these relationships. There was little evidence that chronological age moderated these associations. Multilevel longitudinal analyses found similar associations with the intercept and weak evidence for an association with the slope in the opposite of the expected direction: Lower neuroticism and higher extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were related to feeling relatively older over time. The present study provides replicable evidence that personality is related to subjective age. It extends existing conceptualization of subjective age as a biopsychosocial marker of aging by showing that how old or young individuals feel partly reflects personality traits. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

}, keywords = {health-related outcomes, Personality Traits, Subjective age}, issn = {1939-1498}, doi = {10.1037/pag0000678}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Kornadt, Anna and Canada, Brice and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {11707, title = {Self-reported sense of purpose in life and proxy-reported behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in the last year of life.}, journal = {Aging and Mental Health}, volume = {26}, year = {2022}, pages = {1693-1698}, abstract = {

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are among the most challenging aspects of dementia for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers. Identifying factors associated with resilience to BPSD may inform interventions to reduce them. The present research examines whether purpose in life is associated with BPSD in the last year of life.Participants from the Health and Retirement Study were selected if they reported on their sense of purpose, had evidence of a memory impairment, died across the follow-up, and a proxy completed the End of Life survey that included BPSD ( = 2473). Self-reported sense of purpose was tested as a predictor of the sum of symptoms and each indivdual symptom in the last year of life.Purpose in life was associated with fewer BPSD overall. Of the individual symptoms, purpose was associated with less risk of psychological symptoms, specfiically less depression, periodic confusion, uncontrolled temper, but not with motor or perceptual symptoms. These results are consistent with growing evidence that purpose is associated with better cognitive outcomes. Purpose may be a useful target of intervention to improve outcomes across the spectrum of dementia.

}, keywords = {Behavioral Symptoms, BPSD, Dementia, end of life, Purpose in life}, issn = {1364-6915}, doi = {10.1080/13607863.2021.1937055}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {12227, title = {Sense of Purpose in Life and Markers of Hearing Function: Replicated Associations across Two Longitudinal Cohorts.}, journal = {Gerontology}, volume = {68}, year = {2022}, pages = {943-950}, abstract = {

INTRODUCTION: A sense of purpose in life is a psychological resource that is associated with healthier outcomes. The present research examines whether a greater sense of purpose in life is associated with subjective and objective markers of hearing health and whether hearing acuity contributes to the association between purpose and episodic memory. We sought to evaluate whether these associations were replicable across 2 independent samples.

METHODS: Participants in the Health and Retirement Study (N = 14,291) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (N = 8,844) reported on their purpose in life and perceived hearing quality at baseline. Hearing acuity was measured using an audiometer 2-4 years later, and episodic memory was measured at baseline and 6-8 years later.

RESULTS: In both samples, higher purpose in life was associated with better hearing quality measured concurrently, lower risk of either subjective or objective hearing impairment, and hearing acuity accounted for some of the longitudinal relation between sense of purpose and better episodic memory.

DISCUSSION: Across samples, measures, and analytical approaches, the present research indicates replicable associations between sense of purpose in life and hearing health. It further indicates that hearing may be one factor that associates purpose with better episodic memory.

}, keywords = {Episodic Memory, hearing acuity, Hearing loss, Replication, Sense of purpose}, issn = {1423-0003}, doi = {10.1159/000521257}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Damaris Aschwanden and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {12220, title = {Subjective Aging and Objectively Assessed Hearing Function: A Prospective Study of Older Adults.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology, Series B }, volume = {77}, year = {2022}, pages = {1637-1644}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: Subjective aging is consistently related to a range of health-related outcomes, but little is known about its relationship with sensory functioning. The present prospective study tested whether subjective age and self-perceptions of aging (SPA) are associated with objective hearing function.

METHOD: Participants were 7,085 individuals aged 50 to 93 years (60\% women, Mean= 65.15, SD= 8.71) from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Measures of subjective age, SPA, and information on demographic factors were obtained in 2008/2010. Objective hearing function was assessed eight years later in 2016/2018. Furthermore, potential mediating variables (c-reactive protein, body mass index, physical inactivity, and chronic conditions) were assessed in 2012/2014.

RESULTS: In regression analyses that accounted for demographic factors, older subjective age and negative SPA were associated with lower hearing acuity eight years later. In addition, 1 SD older subjective age and negative SPA were related to a 9\% and 7\% higher likelihood of hearing impairment. Mediation analyses revealed that physical inactivity and chronic conditions partially mediated subjective age and SPA associations with hearing acuity. There was little evidence that the link between subjective aging and hearing was moderated by hearing aids and partial support for a moderating role of age.

CONCLUSION: This study provides new evidence that subjective aging is prospectively related to hearing function. Individuals with older subjective age or negative SPA have unfavorable behavioral and clinical profiles that explain part of their lower hearing function. Individuals{\textquoteright} experience with their aging process is a marker of risk for impaired hearing.

}, keywords = {hearing acuity, self-perceptions of aging, Subjective age}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbac018}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {11513, title = {The Association between Subjective Age and Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome: Results from a Population-Based Cohort Study.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology: Series B }, volume = {76}, year = {2021}, pages = {2023-2028}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: The motoric cognitive risk (MCR) syndrome, characterized by cognitive complaints and slower gait speed, is a pre-dementia syndrome associated with dementia and mortality risk. The present study examined whether subjective age, that is how old or young individuals feel relative to their chronological age, is related to concurrent and incident MCR syndrome. A relation between subjective age and MCR will inform knowledge on psychological factors related to dementia risk, identify who is at greater risk, and suggest a potential target of intervention.

METHOD: The study sample was composed of 6,341 individuals aged 65 to 107 years without dementia from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a longitudinal study of adults aged 50 years and older. Participants completed measures of subjective age, cognitive complaints, and gait speed and provided information on demographic factors, cognition, physical activity, depressive symptoms, and body mass index (BMI) at baseline in 2008/2010. Incident MCR was assessed four and eight years later.

RESULTS: Controlling for demographic factors, an older subjective age was related to more than 60\% higher likelihood of MCR at baseline and to around 50\% higher risk of incident MCR over time. These associations remained significant when cognition, physical inactivity, depressive symptoms, and BMI were included in the analytic models.

CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that how old individuals feel is related to concurrent and incident MCR beyond the effect of chronological age, other demographic factors, physical inactivity, depressive symptoms, BMI, and cognitive functioning.

}, keywords = {BMI, cognitive complaint, motoric cognitive risk, Subjective age, walking speed}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbab047}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Canada, Brice and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {11495, title = {Cross-sectional and prospective association between personality traits and IADL/ADL limitations.}, journal = {Psychology and Aging}, volume = {36}, year = {2021}, pages = {309-321}, abstract = {

Prior research has shown that personality traits are associated with activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental ADLs (IADLs). To advance research on the psychological factors related to aging-related functional limitations, this study examined the relation between personality traits and both concurrent and incident functional limitations, tested whether these associations are similar across IADLs and ADLs, and tested potential mediators of these associations. Participants were drawn from eight longitudinal samples from the U.S., England, and Japan. Participants provided data on demographic variables, the five major personality traits, and on the Katz ADL-scale and Lawton IADL-scales. IADL/ADL limitations were assessed again 3-18 years later. A consistent pattern of associations was found between personality traits and functional limitations, with associations slightly stronger for IADLs than ADLs, and robust across samples that used different measures and from different cultural contexts. The meta-analysis indicated that higher neuroticism was related to a higher likelihood of concurrent and incident IADL/ADL limitations, and higher conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness were associated with lower risk. Higher agreeableness was associated with lower risk of concurrent IADL/ADL, but unrelated to incident limitations. Physical activity, disease burden, depressive symptoms, self-rated health, handgrip strength, falls, and smoking status mediated the relation between personality traits and incident IADL/ADL limitations. The present study indicates that personality traits are risk factors for both IADL and ADL limitations across multiple national cohorts, identifies potential mediators, and informs conceptual models on psychological risk factors for functional decline. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

}, keywords = {ADL disability, ELSA, IADLS, Personality Traits}, issn = {1939-1498}, doi = {10.1037/pag0000502}, author = {Canada, Brice and Yannick Stephan and Fundenberger, Herv{\'e} and Angelina R Sutin and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {11380, title = {Memory and Personality Development in Adulthood: Evidence From Four Longitudinal Studies.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology, Series B }, volume = {76}, year = {2021}, pages = {88-97}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: Personality traits have been related to concurrent memory performance. Most studies, however, have focused on personality as a predictor of memory; comparatively less is known about whether memory is related to personality development across adulthood. Using 4 samples, the present study tests whether memory level and change are related to personality change in adulthood.

METHOD: Participants were drawn from 2 waves of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Graduates (WLSG; N = 3,232, mean age = 64.28, SD = 0.65) and Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Siblings (WLSS; N = 1,570, mean age = 63.52, SD = 6.69) samples, the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS; N = 1,901, mean age = 55.43, SD = 10.98), and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; N = 6,038, mean age = 65.47, SD = 8.28). Immediate and delayed recall and the 5 major personality traits were assessed at baseline and follow-up.

RESULTS: There was heterogeneity in the associations across samples. A meta-analysis of latent change in the four samples indicated that lower baseline memory performance was related to an increase in neuroticism (B = -0.002; 95\% CI = -0.004, -0.0008) and a decrease in agreeableness (B = 0.004; 95\% CI = 0.002, 0.007) and conscientiousness (B = 0.005; 95\% CI = 0.0008, 0.010). In addition, declines in memory were related to steeper declines in extraversion (B = 0.06; 95\% CI = 0.003, 0.11), openness (B = 0.04; 95\% CI = 0.007, 0.069), and conscientiousness (B = 0.05; 95\% CI = 0.019, 0.09).

DISCUSSION: The present study indicates that poor memory and declines in memory over time are related to maladaptive personality change. These associations, however, were small and inconsistent across samples.

}, keywords = {Adulthood, longitudinal, Memory, Personality Development}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbaa086}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {11611, title = {An older subjective age is related to accelerated epigenetic aging.}, journal = {Psychology and Aging}, volume = {36}, year = {2021}, pages = {767-772}, abstract = {

The present study examined the prospective association between subjective age and epigenetic clock in 2,253 adults (Mean age = 67.40, SD = 8.17) from the Health and Retirement Study. Subjective age and demographic factors were assessed in 2008/2010 and epigenetic clock was assessed in 2016 using the DNA methylation (DNAm) PhenoAge. Regression analysis revealed that an older subjective age was associated with accelerated epigenetic aging; mediation analysis revealed that self-rated health and CRP accounted for this association. The findings indicate that individuals who feel older than their chronological age are biologically older, in part because of their perceived health and inflammatory profiles. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

}, keywords = {Epigenetic Age, Subjective age}, issn = {1939-1498}, doi = {10.1037/pag0000607}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {11498, title = {Personality and Headaches: Findings From Six Prospective Studies.}, journal = {Psychosomatic Medicine}, volume = {83}, year = {2021}, pages = {118-124}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: The present study examined the association between personality traits and concurrent and incident headaches.

METHODS: Participants (n = 34,989), aged 16 to 107 years were from the Midlife in the United States study, the Midlife in Japan study, the Health and Retirement Study, the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Graduate and Siblings samples, and the Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences. Demographic factors, personality traits, and headaches were assessed at baseline. Headaches were assessed again 4 to almost 20 years later.

RESULTS: Across the samples, higher neuroticism was related to a higher likelihood of concurrent (combined odd ratio = 1.41, 95\% confidence interval [CI] = 1.28-1.55, p < .001) and incident (combined odd ratio = 1.28, 95\% CI = 1.12-1.46, p < .001) headaches, whereas higher extraversion was associated with a lower likelihood of concurrent (combined odd ratio = 0.87, 95\% CI = 0.84-0.89, p < .001) and incident (combined odd ratio = 0.90, 95\% CI = 0.85-0.96, p = .001) headaches. Higher conscientiousness (combined odd ratio = 0.90, 95\% CI = 0.86-0.94, p < .001) and openness (combined odd ratio = 0.95, 95\% CI = 0.90-0.99, p = .025) were associated with a lower probability of reporting concurrent headaches. Agreeableness was unrelated to headaches. Sex was not a consistent moderator.

CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides robust evidence that neuroticism and introversion are risk factors for headaches in concurrent and prospective analyses across multiple cohorts.

}, keywords = {headaches, Personality}, issn = {1534-7796}, doi = {10.1097/PSY.0000000000000902}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Canada, Brice and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {11112, title = {Purpose in Life and Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome: Replicable Evidence from Two National Samples.}, journal = {Journal of the American Geriatrics Society}, volume = {69}, year = {2021}, pages = {381-388}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Motoric cognitive risk (MCR) syndrome is characterized by cognitive complaints and slow gait speed in the absence of dementia. Consistent evidence indicates that it predicts dementia and premature mortality. Less is known about its antecedents, particularly the role of psychological function. Purpose in life is an aspect of well-being that reflects a goal-oriented and -driven life that has been implicated in cognitive aging. We aimed to examine the cross-sectional association between purpose in life and MCR and to test the hypothesis that purpose is associated with a lower risk of new cases of MCR over an up to 12-year follow-up.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional and longitudinal multi-cohort design.

SETTING: Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS).

PARTICIPANTS: A total of 6,785 individuals from the HRS and 5,665 from the NHATS.

MEASUREMENTS: Participants reported on their purpose in life and cognitive complaints and completed a walking speed assessment. Cognitive complaints and walking speed were assessed again up to 12 years later in HRS and up to 7 years later in NHATS.

RESULTS: Higher purpose in life was associated with a 33\% lower risk of MCR concurrently (meta-analytic odds ratio = .75; 95\% confidence interval [CI] = .62-.90; P = .002) and an about 26\% lower risk of incident MCR longitudinally (meta-analytic hazard ratio = .77; 95\% CI = .70-.84; P < .001). These associations were significant in each sample, were independent of sociodemographic covariates, and persisted after controlling for personality and health-related factors (depressive symptoms, physical activity, disease burden).

CONCLUSION: Purpose in life is associated with a lower risk of incident MCR, an association that was replicated in two independent samples. Purpose is a malleable aspect of psychological function that is a promising target of intervention for healthier cognitive aging.

}, keywords = {impairment well-being, pre-dementia risk, Purpose in life, syndrome cognitive}, issn = {1532-5415}, doi = {10.1111/jgs.16852}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {11693, title = {Self-Rated Health and Incident Dementia over Two Decades: Replication Across Two Cohorts}, journal = {Journal of Psychiatric Research}, volume = {143}, year = {2021}, pages = {462-466}, abstract = {This prospective study examined the association between self-rated health and incident dementia in two large cohorts of middle-aged and older adults. Participants were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, N= 13,839, Mean Age= 64.32, SD= 9.04) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA, N=4649, Mean Age = 64.44, SD= 9.97). Self-rated health and covariates were assessed at baseline in 1998 and 2002, and cognitive status was tracked for up to 21 years in HRS and 17 years in ELSA, respectively. Controlling for demographic factors, poorer self-rated health was associated with higher risk of incident dementia in HRS (HR: 1.18, 95\%CI: 1.12-1.24, p<.001) and ELSA (HR: 1.38, 95\%CI: 1.23-1.55, p<.001). These associations remained significant when diabetes, hypertension, smoking, physical inactivity, depressive symptoms, personality, and polygenic risk for Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s Disease were included as additional covariates or when cases occurring within the first ten years of follow-up were excluded from the analyses. There was no replicable evidence that age, sex, education, race or ethnicity moderated the association. Self-rated health is a long-term, replicable predictor of incident dementia that is independent of genetic, clinical, and behavioral risk factors.}, keywords = {Dementia, longitudinal, Risk Factors, Self-rated health}, isbn = {0022-3956}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.06.036}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Damaris Aschwanden and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {10999, title = {Subjective age and informant-rated cognition and function: A prospective study.}, journal = {Psychology and Aging}, volume = {36}, year = {2021}, pages = {338-343}, abstract = {

The present study examined whether subjective age is related to informant-rated cognition. Participants were adults ( = 2,337, mean age = 69.84 years, = 7.45) from the Health and Retirement Study who provided subjective age and demographic factors in 2008/2010 and informant-rated cognition in 2016 as part of the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol. An older subjective age was associated with informant reports of steeper cognitive decline, worse cognitive function, lower ability, and loss of ability to do everyday activities. The present study indicates that subjective age predicts cognitive function in everyday life as observed by knowledgeable informants. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

}, keywords = {Cognition, HCAP, Subjective age}, issn = {1939-1498}, doi = {10.1037/pag0000566}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {STEPHAN2021110616, title = {Subjective age and multiple cognitive domains in two longitudinal samples}, journal = {Journal of Psychosomatic Research}, volume = {150}, year = {2021}, pages = {110616}, abstract = {Objective Subjective age is consistently related to memory performance and global cognitive function among older adults. The present study examines whether subjective age is prospectively related to specific domains of cognitive function. Method Participants were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, N{\^A} ={\^A} 2549, Mean Age{\^A} ={\^A} 69.66, SD{\^A} ={\^A} 7.36) and the Midlife in the United States Survey (MIDUS, N{\^A} ={\^A} 2499, Mean Age{\^A} ={\^A} 46.24, SD{\^A} ={\^A} 11.25). In both samples, subjective age, depressive symptoms, chronic conditions, and demographic factors were assessed at baseline. Four domains of cognition were assessed 8{\^A} years later in the HRS and almost 20{\^A} years later in the MIDUS: episodic memory, speed-attention-executive, verbal fluency, and numeric reasoning. HRS also assessed visuospatial ability. Results Regression analysis revealed that an older subjective age was related to worse performance in the domains of episodic memory and speed-attention-executive in both samples. The effect size for the difference between a younger and an older subjective age was d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.14 (MIDUS) and d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.24 (HRS) for episodic memory and d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.25 (MIDUS) and d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.33 (HRS) for speed-attention-executive. Feeling older was related to lower verbal fluency in HRS (d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.30) but not in MIDUS, whereas no association was found with numeric reasoning in either sample. An older subjective age was related to lower visuospatial ability in HRS (d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.25). Conclusion Subjective age is prospectively related to performance in different cognitive domains. The associations between subjective age and both episodic memory and speed-attention-executive functions were replicable and robust over up to 20{\^A} years of follow-up.}, keywords = {Adulthood, Cognition, Executive function, Memory, numeric reasoning, Subjective age, verbal fluency, Visuospatial ability}, issn = {0022-3999}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpsychores.2021.110616}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Damaris Aschwanden and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {STEPHAN2021104527, title = {Subjective Age and Verbal Fluency among Middle Aged and Older Adults: A Meta-Analysis of Five Cohorts}, journal = {Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics}, volume = {97}, year = {2021}, pages = {104527}, abstract = {Objectives This study aimed to examine the relation between subjective age and verbal fluency in five large samples of older adults to advance knowledge on the role of subjective age in a complex cognitive function that is an intermediate marker of cognitive impairment and dementia risk. Methods Participants (N > 27,000), aged 32 to 99 years old, predominantly white, were from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Graduate (WLSG) and Siblings (WLSS) samples, the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS), and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). They provided complete data on subjective age, demographic factors and verbal fluency. Estimates from each sample were combined in a meta-analysis. Results Across each of the five samples and in the meta-analysis, an older subjective age was related to lower performance on the verbal fluency task. This association was independent of chronological age and was not moderated by age, sex, nor education. The difference in fluency between individuals with an older and younger subjective age ranged from d= .09 to d= .37 across the five samples. Conclusions This study found replicable evidence for an association between an older subjective age and lower verbal fluency, extending knowledge about an intermediate marker of cognitive function.}, keywords = {Adulthood, ELSA, Sister studies, Subjective age, verbal fluency}, issn = {0167-4943}, doi = {10.1016/j.archger.2021.104527}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Damaris Aschwanden and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {11018, title = {Subjective Aging and Incident Cardiovascular Disease.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology: Series B}, volume = {76}, year = {2021}, pages = {910-919}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: Subjective aging, including subjective age and self-perceptions of aging (SPA), predicts health-related outcomes in older adults. Despite its association with cardiovascular risk factors, little is known about the association between subjective aging and the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the present study examined whether subjective age and SPA are related to the incidence of heart conditions and stroke.

METHODS: The sample comprises 10,695 participants aged 50-100 years from the Health and Retirement Study. Subjective age, SPA, demographic factors, and health-related behaviors, body mass index (BMI), hypertension, diabetes, and depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline. Self-reported physician diagnosis of heart conditions and stroke were assessed biennially over up to 9 years of follow-up.

RESULTS: Controlling for demographic factors, an older subjective age and more negative SPA were related to a higher risk of incident heart conditions and stroke. Feeling older and holding negative SPA were associated with around 40\% higher risk of experiencing heart conditions over time. An older subjective age and negative SPA were related to almost twofold and 30\% higher risk of incident stroke, respectively. Health risk behaviors, BMI, hypertension, diabetes, and depressive symptoms accounted for part of the associations between subjective aging and heart diseases and stroke.

CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with the literature on subjective aging and cardiovascular risk factors, this large prospective study indicates that an older subjective age and negative SPA increase the risk of incident stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.

}, keywords = {ardiovascular disease, self-perceptions of aging, Stroke, Subjective age}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbaa106}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Wurm, Susanne and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {11314, title = {The Effect of Cognitive Impairment on Loneliness in Older Adulthood: Evidence From HRS 2008-2018}, journal = {Innovation in Aging}, volume = {4}, year = {2020}, pages = {322}, abstract = {Background: People experience loneliness when there is a mismatch between desired and actual social interaction. Demographic and health factors have been implicated in loneliness; less is known about the unique association of cognitive impairment on loneliness in older adulthood. Purpose: This study examined the link between cognitive impairment status and level and change in loneliness over a 9-year period and whether it is independent of physical health, depression, and social isolation. We examine the associations for overall and the emotional and social loneliness sub-domains of loneliness. Methods: Data were from the Health and Retirement Study 2008-2018 waves (N = 8,269, age 50+). Cognitive impairment status was categorized using mTICS. Loneliness was measured with 11-item UCLA Loneliness scale. Multilevel modeling was used to analyze the effects of cognitive status on loneliness, controlling for time-varying functional limitation, disease burden, social contact, and depression. Results: Cognitive impairment not dementia (CIND) was associated with higher loneliness (b = .04, p \< .001). CIND (b = .03, p = .036) and dementia (b = .09, p = .017) were linked to higher emotional loneliness but were not independent of social isolation and depression. Those with CIND had higher social loneliness (b = .04, p = .016), even after adjusting for covariates. The trajectory of loneliness did not vary by cognitive status. Conclusions: Cognitive impairment is a risk factor for loneliness among older adults. Those with mild cognitive impairment experienced heightened loneliness, especially for social belongingness. Cognitive function should be considered in designing interventions for loneliness.}, keywords = {cognitive impairment, Loneliness}, isbn = {2399-5300}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1031}, author = {Ji Hyun Lee and Martina Luchetti and Angelina R Sutin and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {10702, title = {An examination of potential mediators of the relationship between polygenic scores of BMI and waist circumference and phenotypic adiposity}, journal = {Psychology \& Health}, year = {2020}, note = {PMID: 32275177}, type = {Journal}, abstract = {AbstractObjective: The present study examined whether physical activity, personality, cognition, education, and depressive symptoms mediate the association between polygenic scores (PGS) for body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference and the corresponding phenotypic adiposity measures.Design: Participants were 9,139 individuals aged 50 to 107 years (57\% women; Mean Age: 68.17, SD: 10.06) from the Health and Retirement Study who were genotyped. Trained staff measured their height, weight, and waist circumference, and participants answered questions on physical activity, personality, education, cognitive function, and depressive symptoms.Main Outcome Measures: BMI and waist circumference.Results: A higher PGS for both BMI and waist circumference were related to higher phenotypic BMI and waist circumference, respectively, in part through their association with lower physical activity, conscientiousness, education, and higher depressive symptoms but not cognition. The mediators accounted for 6.6\% of the association between PGS and BMI and 9.6\% of the association between PGS and waist circumference.Conclusion: The present study provides new evidence on the multiple, distinct pathways through which genetic propensity to higher BMI and waist circumference may lead to higher adiposity in adulthood. Individuals with a higher genetic predisposition to obesity may gain more weight through less adaptive behavioral, personality and educational profiles.}, keywords = {BMI, depression, Education, Personality, Physical activity, polygenic score, Waist Circumference}, doi = {10.1080/08870446.2020.1743839}, url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32275177}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Pauline Caille and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {9873, title = {Loneliness and Risk of Dementia}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology: Series B}, volume = {75}, year = {2020}, pages = {1414-1422}, abstract = {Objective The present study tests whether loneliness is associated with risk of dementia in the largest sample to date and further examines whether the association is independent of social isolation, a related but independent component of social integration, and whether it varies by demographic factors and genetic vulnerability. Method Participants from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 12,030) reported on their loneliness, social isolation, and had information on clinical, behavioral, and genetic risk factors. Cognitive status was assessed at baseline and every 2 years over a 10-year follow-up with the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICSm). A TICSm score of 6 or less was indicative of dementia. Results Cox proportional hazards regression indicated that loneliness was associated with a 40\% increased risk of dementia. This association held controlling for social isolation, and clinical, behavioral, and genetic risk factors. The association was similar across gender, race, ethnicity, education, and genetic risk. Discussion Loneliness is associated with increased risk of dementia. It is one modifiable factor that can be intervened on to reduce dementia risk.}, keywords = {Dementia, Depressive symptoms, Loneliness, Risk Factors}, issn = {1079-5014}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gby112}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Martina Luchetti and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {10056, title = {Personality and falls among older adults: Evidence from a longitudinal cohort.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology, Series B}, volume = {75}, year = {2020}, pages = {1905-1910}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: Falls can have catastrophic consequences, especially for older adults. The present study examined whether personality traits predict the incidence of falls in older age.

METHOD: Participants were older adults aged from 65 to 99 years (N = 4,759) drawn from the Health and Retirement Study. Personality traits and demographic factors were assessed at baseline. Falls were tracked for up to 11 years.

RESULTS: Over the follow-up period, 2,811 individuals reported falls. Cox regression analyses that included demographic covariates indicated that lower conscientiousness and higher neuroticism increased the risk of falling. Disease burden, depressive symptoms, and physical inactivity mediated the associations between both traits and falls incidence, whereas smoking status and handgrip strength mediated the neuroticism-falls incidence association.

DISCUSSION: This study provides new prospective evidence that personality predicts the incidence of falls in older adults and suggest that personality assessment may help identifying individuals at higher risk of falling.

}, keywords = {Falls, Longitudinal data, Personality}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbz040}, author = {Canada, Brice and Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {10865, title = {Personality and HbA1c: Findings from Six Samples}, journal = {Psychoneuroendocrinology}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Personality traits are associated with risk of diabetes, but most research to date has relied on participants reported diagnosis rather than objective markers of glycaemia. The present study examined the association between the five major domains of personality (neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness) and haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Participants (N > 26,000) were individuals aged from 16 to 104 years from six large community samples from the US, Europe, and Japan who had data on personality, demographic factors, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, and HbA1c. Of the five factors, only higher conscientiousness was related consistently to lower HbA1c level across most samples and in the meta-analysis. Conscientiousness was also related to lower risk of HbA1c >=6.5\% (OR = .85, 95\%CI = 0.80-0.90). BMI and physical activity partially mediated the link between conscientiousness and HbA1c. There were not consistent associations for the other four traits across the six samples and no consistent associations between personality and likelihood of undiagnosed diabetes. The present study found replicable associations between conscientiousness and HbA1c in adulthood. Assessment of conscientiousness may improve the identification of individuals at risk of diabetes and guide personalized interventions for regulation of HbA1c level.}, keywords = {Diabetes, ELSA, HbA1c, Personality}, isbn = {0306-4530}, doi = {10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104782}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Canada, Brice and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {10950, title = {Personality And Self-Rated Health Across Eight Cohort Studies}, journal = {Social Science \& Medicine}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Rationale There is substantial evidence for the predictive value of single-item selfrated health measures for a range of health outcomes. Past research has found an association between personality traits and self-rated health. However, there has not been a multi-cohort large-scale study that has examined this link, and few studies have examined the association between personality and change in self-rated health. Objective To examine the concurrent and longitudinal association between personality and self-rated health.MethodParticipants were individuals aged from 16 to 107 years (N> 46,000) drawn from eight large longitudinal samples from the US, Europe, and Japan. Brief measures of the five-factor model of personality, a single item measure of self-rated health, and covariates (age, sex, and education, and race) were assessed at baseline and self-rated health was measured again 3 to 20 years later. Results In cross-sectional analyses, higher neuroticism was related to lower self-rated health whereas higher extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness were associated with better self-rated health across most samples. A meta-analysis revealed that a one standard deviation higher neuroticism was related to more than 50\% higher risk of fair to poor health, whereas a one standard deviation higher extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness was associated with at least 15\% lower risk of fair or poor health. A similar pattern was found in longitudinal analyses: personality was associated with risk of self-rated excellent/very good/good health at baseline becoming fair/poor at follow-up. In multilevel analyses, however, personality was weakly related to trajectories of self-rated health and in the opposite of the expected direction. Conclusions The present study shows replicable cross-sectional and small longitudinal associations between personality and self-rated health. This study suggests that lower neuroticism, higher extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness are related to more favorable self-evaluations of health.}, keywords = {Adulthood, ELSA, longitudinal, Personality, Self-rated health}, isbn = {0277-9536}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113245}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Hognon, Louis and Canada, Brice and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {11185, title = {Personality, Retirement, and Cognitive Impairment: Moderating and Mediating Associations.}, journal = {Journal of Aging and Health}, year = {2020}, abstract = {

Five-factor model (FFM) personality traits, including higher conscientiousness and lower neuroticism, are associated with lower risk of dementia and cognitive impairment. In this research, we test whether retirement status moderates and/or mediates the relation between personality and cognitive impairment. We used data from the Health and Retirement Study ( = 9899), a longitudinal study of Americans over the age of 50 years, to examine moderating and mediating associations between personality traits and retirement status on risk of dementia and cognitive impairment not dementia (CIND) over an 8-10~year follow-up. Personality and retirement each had strong, independent associations with risk of dementia and CIND. There were not, however, strong or consistent, moderating or mediating associations between personality and retirement predicting impairment risk. Overall, these results indicate that personality and retirement are independent risk factors for incident cognitive impairment. Mechanisms other than retirement are likely to explain this association.

}, keywords = {cognitive impairment, Dementia, longitudinal, Personality, Retirement}, issn = {1552-6887}, doi = {10.1177/0898264320969080}, author = {Jason E Strickhouser and Angelina R Sutin} } @article { ISI:000512337900001, title = {Polygenic score for neuroticism is related to sleep difficulties}, journal = {GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR}, year = {2020}, pages = {e12644}, type = {Article; Early Access}, abstract = {Neuroticism, a broad trait measure of the tendency to experience negative emotions and vulnerability to stress, is consistently related to poor sleep quality. Less is known about potential pleiotropy in the genetic risk for high neuroticism and poor sleep. Therefore, the present study examined whether polygenic score (PGS) for neuroticism is related to sleep quality in two large samples of adults. In addition, depressive symptoms, anxiety and phenotypical neuroticism were tested as mediators in both samples. Participants were 8316 individuals aged from 50 to 101 years (mean age = 68.29, SD = 9.83) from the Health and Retirement Study, and 4973 individuals aged from 63 to 67 years (mean age = 64.30, SD = 0.68) from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. Participants from both samples were genotyped and answered questions on sleep quality. A higher PGS for neuroticism was related to lower sleep quality concurrently and over time in both samples. Anxiety, depressive symptoms and neuroticism mediated these relationships in the two samples. Although effect sizes were small, the present study provides replicable evidence that individuals with a higher genetic predisposition to experience negative emotions and distress are at risk of sleep difficulties.}, keywords = {Neuroticism, polygenic score, sleep quality}, issn = {1601-1848}, doi = {10.1111/gbb.12644}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {Aschwanden2020717, title = {Predicting Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: A Machine Learning Approach}, journal = {Journal of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease : JAD}, volume = {75}, year = {2020}, pages = {717-728}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Efforts to identify important risk factors for cognitive impairment and dementia have to date mostly relied on meta-analytic strategies. A comprehensive empirical evaluation of these risk factors within a single study is currently lacking. OBJECTIVE: We used a combined methodology of machine learning and semi-parametric survival analysis to estimate the relative importance of 52 predictors in forecasting cognitive impairment and dementia in a large, population-representative sample of older adults. METHODS: Participants from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 9,979; aged 50-98 years) were followed for up to 10 years (M = 6.85 for cognitive impairment; M = 7.67 for dementia). Using a split-sample methodology, we first estimated the relative importance of predictors using machine learning (random forest survival analysis), and we then used semi-parametric survival analysis (Cox proportional hazards) to estimate effect sizes for the most important variables. RESULTS: African Americans and individuals who scored high on emotional distress were at relatively highest risk for developing cognitive impairment and dementia. Sociodemographic (lower education, Hispanic ethnicity) and health variables (worse subjective health, increasing BMI) were comparatively strong predictors for cognitive impairment. Cardiovascular factors (e.g., smoking, physical inactivity) and polygenic scores (with and without APOEɛ4) appeared less important than expected. Post-hoc sensitivity analyses underscored the robustness of these results. CONCLUSIONS: Higher-order factors (e.g., emotional distress, subjective health), which reflect complex interactions between various aspects of an individual, were more important than narrowly defined factors (e.g., clinical and behavioral indicators) when evaluated concurrently to predict cognitive impairment and dementia.}, keywords = {Aging, cognitive impairment, Cox proportional hazard survival analysis, Dementia, Machine learning, Protective factors, random forest survival analysis, Risk Factors}, issn = {18758908}, doi = {10.3233/JAD-190967}, author = {Damaris Aschwanden and Aichele, S. and Ghisletta, P. and Antonio Terracciano and Kliegel, M. and Angelina R Sutin and Justin Brown and Allemand, M.} } @article {10941, title = {Psychological and Social Functioning Are Associated with Reports of Perceived Weight Discrimination Across Eight Years}, journal = {Journal of Research in Personality}, year = {2020}, abstract = {This research uses the Health and Retirement Study to identify psychological and social factors that prospectively predict new reports of perceived weight discrimination among individuals who measure in the obese weight category. Participants (Mage=66.89, SD=8.33; 58\% women) reported on their personality and social isolation, had a body mass index (BMI)>=30, reported no perceived weight discrimination at baseline, and completed at least one assessment over the up to 8-year follow-up (N=3,064). Eleven percent of participants reported new experiences of perceived weight discrimination. Higher Neuroticism and loneliness at baseline were associated with new reports; Conscientiousness was protective. This research adds to models of weight stigma by identifying psychological and social factors that contribute to reporting new instances of perceived weight discrimination.}, keywords = {Loneliness, Obesity, Perceived Discrimination, Personality, Social contact, Stigma}, isbn = {0092-6566}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2020.104002}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Mary A Gerend and Maner, Jon K. and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {2019-63611-00120191017, title = {Change in weight and personality in middle-aged and older adults.}, journal = {Psychology \& Health}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Objective: Personality is associated with weight change and the development of obesity across adulthood. The present study examines whether significant weight change, including weight loss and weight gain, is related to personality change in a large longitudinal sample of middle-aged and older adults.Design: Participants were adults aged 50{\textendash}92 years (N > 5000; 59\% women, Mean age= 65.51, SD= 8.20) drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Personality, demographic, health and staff assessed weight and height were obtained at baseline and 8 years later.Main Outcome Measures: Personality traits.Results: Both weight loss and weight gain greater than 10\% of baseline weight were related to a steeper decline in extraversion, openness and conscientiousness. Weight loss was further associated with the maintenance of neuroticism and to a steeper decline in agreeableness. This overall pattern of personality change was also associated with both unhealthy and healthy weight change. The associations were not moderated by BMI and generally remained significant after accounting for disease burden.Conclusion: The present study provides new evidence that both weight loss and weight gain are related to change in personality.}, keywords = {health, longitudinal, No terms assigned, Personality, weight}, issn = {0887-0446}, doi = {10.1080/08870446.2019.1679372}, url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31631712}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {STEPHAN2019187, title = {Cigarette smoking and personality change across adulthood: Findings from five longitudinal samples}, journal = {Journal of Research in Personality}, volume = {81}, year = {2019}, pages = {187 - 194}, type = {Journal}, abstract = {Personality traits are related to cigarette smoking. However, little is known about the link between smoking and change in personality. Therefore, the present study examined whether current cigarette smoking and smoking cessation are associated with personality change across adulthood. Participants (n = 15,572) aged from 20 to 92 years were drawn from five longitudinal cohorts with follow-ups that ranged from 4 to 20 years. Compared to non-smokers, current smokers were more likely to increase on neuroticism and to decline on extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness over time. Compared to the persistent smokers, those who quit had a steeper decline in agreeableness. Cigarette smoking is related to detrimental personality changes across adulthood, and the pattern was not improved by smoking cessation.}, keywords = {Cigarette smoking, longitudinal study, Personality change}, issn = {0092-6566}, doi = {doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2019.06.006}, url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092656618300825}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Pauline Caille and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {10044, title = {Evaluations of a previous day as a pathway between personality and healthy cognitive aging}, journal = {Journal of Aging and Health}, year = {2019}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between Five-Factor Model personality traits and how individuals evaluate a recent day in their lives (yesterday) and whether these evaluations mediate personality and cognitive function over time.

METHODS: Participants were a subsample from the Health and Retirement Study who completed personality measures in 2008/2010, the day evaluation in 2011, and cognitive tasks in 2012 ( N = 3,454).

RESULTS: Lower Neuroticism and Higher Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness were associated with a more engaging day, fewer negative feelings, better subjective health, and less time spent alone. Active engagement and subjective health were associated with cognitive function and mediated the prospective associations between Neuroticism, Openness, and Conscientiousness and cognitive function.

DISCUSSION: Personality is associated with how individuals evaluated their previous day, which contributes to cognition over time. The present research contributes to a mechanistic model that aims to identify pathways through which personality contributes to cognitive aging.

}, keywords = {Cognition \& Reasoning, Personality, Self Report}, issn = {1552-6887}, doi = {10.1177/0898264319843451}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Damaris Aschwanden and Martina Luchetti and Jason E Strickhouser and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {9994, title = {Facets of conscientiousness and longevity: Findings from the Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {Journal of Psychosomatic Research}, volume = {116}, year = {2019}, month = {01/2019}, pages = {1-5}, abstract = {Objectives: Conscientiousness is the strongest personality predictor of longevity. The present study examined which facets of conscientiousness are the most strongly related to mortality risk in a large longitudinal sample of middle-aged and older adults. Method: Seven-year mortality data were obtained from participants (total N > 11,000) from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, 2008{\textendash}2014). Six facets of conscientiousness, demographic factors, disease burden, smoking and physical inactivity were assessed at baseline. Results: Controlling for demographic factors, every standard deviation higher order, traditionalism, virtue, and responsibility was related to an approximately 10\% reduced risk of mortality; industriousness was associated with an almost 25\% lower likelihood of mortality. Except for traditionalism, these associations were partially accounted by health and behavioral covariates. Self-control was not related to longevity. When all facets and the covariates were simultaneously included, only industriousness was significantly associated with mortality. Conclusions: The present study provides new evidence about the specific facets of conscientiousness that are related to longevity.}, keywords = {Conscientiousness, Longevity, Mortality}, issn = {1879-1360}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpsychores.2018.11.002}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {Sutin2019, title = {Five-factor model personality traits and cognitive function in five domains in older adulthood}, journal = {BMC Geriatrics}, volume = {19}, year = {2019}, month = {Dec}, pages = {343}, abstract = {Background Five-factor model (FFM) personality traits have been associated consistently with risk of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Less is known about how these traits are associated with functioning in specific domains of cognitive function in older adulthood. Methods Participants (N = 2865) were drawn from the 2016 Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol sub-study of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Participants completed a battery of cognitive tasks that measured performance in five domains: Memory (eight tasks), speed-attention-executive (five tasks), visuospatial ability (three tasks), fluency (one task), and numeric reasoning (one task). Participants completed an FFM personality measure as part of the regular HRS assessment in either 2014 or 2016. Linear regression was used to examine the association between the traits and each cognitive task and composite scores for the five domains, controlling for age, sex, race, ethnicity, and education. We also tested whether the associations were moderated by these sociodemographic factors or mental status. Results Neuroticism was associated with worse performance on all of the cognitive tasks. Conscientiousness was associated with better performance across all five cognitive domains, although not necessarily with every task. Openness and Agreeableness were associated with better performance in all domains, except for numeric reasoning. Extraversion was associated with better speed-attention-executive and fluency. There was no robust evidence that the association between personality and cognition was moderated by sociodemographic characteristics or global cognitive function. Conclusions Personality traits have pervasive associations with functioning across five cognitive domains. Consistent with the literature on personality and risk of ADRD, Neuroticism and Conscientiousness were associated with cognitive performance in the expected direction in all domains. Extraversion was the only trait that showed domain-specific associations. The present research supports models of personality and health in the context of cognition and suggests that personality is associated with intermediate markers of cognitive health.}, keywords = {Cognition, cognitive function, five-factor model, Personality}, issn = {1471-2318}, doi = {10.1186/s12877-019-1362-1}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-019-1362-1}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Martina Luchetti and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {10207, title = {Perceived weight discrimination and performance in five domains of cognitive function.}, journal = {Journal of Psychosomatic Research}, year = {2019}, month = {08/2019}, pages = {109793}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: Individuals who perceive unfair treatment because of their body weight have been found to be at increased risk of poor health outcomes, including risk of dementia. The present research examines the relation between weight discrimination and performance in five cognitive domains (episodic memory, speed-attention, visuospatial ability, language, numeric reasoning) and whether the associations extend to other common attributions for discrimination (age, gender, race).

METHOD: Participants (n = 2593) were from the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) sub-study of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). HCAP participants completed a battery of cognitive tasks that measured the five focal cognitive domains. Participants reported on their perceived experiences with discrimination at the previous regular HRS assessment.

RESULTS: In models that accounted for demographic covariates and BMI, weight discrimination (reported by 6\% of participants) was associated with a two-fold increased risk of poor performance on tasks of episodic memory, speed-attention, visuospatial ability, and numeric reasoning. Body mass index was largely unrelated to performance in the five cognitive domains. The other attributions for discrimination were generally unrelated to cognition, but there were sex- and race-specific associations for gender and race discrimination, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: The present study identified attribution- and domain-specific associations between discrimination and cognitive performance in older adulthood.

}, keywords = {cognitive aging, Neuropsychological tests, Psychosocial stressor, Weight stigma}, issn = {1879-1360}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpsychores.2019.109793}, url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31439334}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Mary A Gerend and Robinson, Eric and Daly, Michael and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {PMID:31335490, title = {Personality and hearing acuity: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing}, journal = {Psychosomatic medicine}, year = {2019}, month = {07/2019}, abstract = {OBJECTIVE:Several determinants of age-related hearing impairment have been identified, but little is known about the predictive value of psychological factors. The present study examined whether five-factor model personality traits are prospectively associated with hearing acuity in middle-aged and older adults. METHODS:Participants were adults aged 50 to 97 years (N> 10,000) drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, 2012-2016) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA, 2010-2014). In each sample, personality, demographic factors, health-related behaviors, BMI, and memory function were assessed at baseline and objective hearing acuity was measured four years later. RESULTS:In both samples, higher conscientiousness and openness were associated with better hearing acuity and lower risk of impairment, whereas neuroticism was associated with a higher risk of hearing impairment. In the HRS and ELSA respectively, 1 SD higher conscientiousness and openness and 1 SD lower neuroticism were related to a 13-10\%, 8-6\%, and 10-13\% lower likelihood of hearing impairment, respectively. In both samples, additional analyses revealed that physical activity and memory mediated the association between personality and hearing. CONCLUSIONS:The present study provides robust evidence for an association between personality traits and hearing function. The findings broaden knowledge on risk and mitigating factors for age-related hearing impairment, which has implications for the quality of life of middle-aged and older adults.}, keywords = {English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, hearing, hearing acuity, Personality}, issn = {0033-3174}, doi = {10.1097/psy.0000000000000734}, url = {https://europepmc.org/abstract/med/31335490}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Pauline Caille and Antonio Terracciano} } @article { ISI:000504501200001, title = {Personality and Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome}, journal = {JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY}, year = {2019}, type = {Article; Early Access}, abstract = {OBJECTIVES To examine whether five major personality traits are related to the motoric cognitive risk (MCR) syndrome, a pre-dementia syndrome characterized by cognitive complaints and slow gait speed. DESIGN Cross-sectional. SETTING Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the National Health and Aging Trends Survey (NHATS). PARTICIPANTS Dementia-free older adults aged 65 to 107 years (N > 8000). MEASUREMENTS In both samples, participants provided data on personality, cognitive complaints, and measures of gait speed, as well as on demographic factors, physical activity, depressive symptoms, and body mass index (BMI). RESULTS Across the two samples and a meta-analysis, higher neuroticism was related to higher risk of MCR (combined odds ratio [OR] = 1.32; 95\% confidence interval [CI] = 1.21-1.45; P < .001), whereas higher extraversion (combined OR = .71; 95\% CI = .65-.79; P < .001) and conscientiousness (combined OR = .70; 95\% CI = .62-.78; P < .001) were associated with a lower likelihood of MCR. Higher openness was also related to a lower risk of MCR in the HRS and the meta-analysis (combined OR = .77; 95\% CI = .70-.85; P < .001), whereas agreeableness was protective only in the HRS (OR = .83; 95\% CI = .74-.92; P < .001). Additional analyses indicated that physical activity, depressive symptoms, and BMI partially accounted for these associations. CONCLUSION This study adds to existing research on the factors related to the risk of MCR by showing an association with personality traits. Personality assessment may help to identify individuals who may be targeted by interventions focused on reducing the risk of MCR and ultimately of dementia.}, keywords = {cognitive complaint, motoric cognitive risk, Personality, walking speed}, issn = {0002-8614}, doi = {10.1111/jgs.16282, Early Access Date = {DEC 2019}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Canada, Brice and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {10139, title = {Personality traits and preventive cancer screenings in the Health Retirement Study.}, journal = {Preventative Med}, volume = {126}, year = {2019}, abstract = {The Five-Factor model of personality has been associated with a wide range of health behaviors and health outcomes. However, few studies have examined whether personality traits are related to cancer screening in older adults. The present study investigated the cross-sectional associations between personality traits and the probability of obtaining a recent preventive screening for breast, cervical, prostate, and colorectal cancer. Participants from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 14,394, M = 68.14 years, range = 50-102 years, 58.6\% female) completed a personality inventory and reported on cancer screenings in the 2010-2012 assessment. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the data, including age, race, ethnicity, gender, education, income, and wealth as covariates. Higher conscientiousness was associated with a higher likelihood of obtaining breast, cervical, and prostate screening. Higher extraversion was related to higher odds of breast, cervical, and colorectal screening. Higher neuroticism was linked to higher odds of colorectal screening, and conscientiousness moderated the link between neuroticism and cervical screening. These associations were significant in models that accounted for demographic and socioeconomic factors. The effect sizes were in the range of a 10-20\% higher likelihood of cancer screening for 1 SD difference in personality. The present findings suggest that conscientiousness and extraversion were related to preventive cancer screenings, whereas neuroticism, openness and agreeableness were largely unrelated to the likelihood of such screenings. If these results are further replicated, health policy makers may consider personality traits when planning and implementing screening recommendations to improve preventive medicine.}, keywords = {Cancer screenings, Personality, Preventative Care}, issn = {1096-0260}, doi = {10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.105763}, author = {Damaris Aschwanden and Mary A Gerend and Martina Luchetti and Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {Stephan2019, title = {Physical activity and subjective age across adulthood in four samples}, journal = {European Journal of Ageing}, year = {2019}, month = {Oct 2019}, abstract = {The present study examined the prospective association between physical activity and subjective age across adulthood and factors that mediate this association. Participants were adults aged from 20 to 90 years (N\thinspace>\thinspace10,000) drawn from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study graduates and siblings samples, the Health and Retirement Study and the Midlife in the United States Survey. In the four samples, physical activity was assessed at baseline and subjective age was measured 8 to 20 years later. Personality, self-rated health, disease burden, depressive symptoms, and cognition were assessed as potential mediators. In the four samples, higher physical activity at baseline was associated with a younger subjective age at follow-up. Logistic regression revealed that physical activity was related to a 30{\textendash}50\% higher likelihood of feeling younger 8 to 20 years later. Significant indirect effects were found through openness to experience and self-rated health in the four samples. This study provides new evidence on the link between a health-related behavior and subjective age. Physically active individuals may sustain health and an open psychological disposition that is associated with feeling younger.}, keywords = {Physical activity, Subjective age}, issn = {1613-9380}, doi = {10.1007/s10433-019-00537-7}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-019-00537-7}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {9811, title = {Polygenic scores for education, health, and personality as predictors of subjective age among older individuals of European ancestry: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {Psychology and Aging}, volume = {34}, year = {2019}, pages = {139-144}, abstract = {The present study aimed to identify whether polygenic scores (PGSs) for education, health and psychological factors are related to subjective age in a large sample of older adults. Participants were 7,763 individuals of European ancestry (57\% women, age = 69.15, = 10.18) from the Health and Retirement Study who were genotyped and provided subjective age data. Higher PGSs for educational achievement and well-being were related to a younger subjective age, whereas higher PGSs for neuroticism, body mass index, waist circumference, and depressive symptoms were associated with an older subjective age. This study provides new evidence on the potential genetic underpinnings of subjective age. }, keywords = {Education, GWAS, Personality, PGS, Subjective age}, issn = {1939-1498}, doi = {10.1037/pag0000283}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Kornadt, Anna and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {10112, title = {The prospective association between personality traits and persistent pain and opioid medication use.}, journal = {Journal of Psychosomatic Research}, volume = {123}, year = {2019}, pages = {109721}, type = {Journal}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: Pain and prescription opioid medication use are prevalent and a major source of psychological and physical health burden. This research examines whether Five Factor Model personality traits prospectively predict who will experience persistent pain and use prescription opioid medication over a 10-year follow-up.

METHODS: Participants (N = 8491) were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study. At baseline, participants reported on their personality and whether they were in pain. Every two years, participants reported on their pain and, at the most recent assessment, their current use of prescription opioid medication. Logistic regression was used to test whether personality was associated with persistent pain over the up to 10-year follow-up and whether it predicted who would be taking prescription opioid medication.

RESULTS: Neuroticism was associated with higher risk of persistent pain (OR = 1.44, 95\% CI = 1.38-1.51) and opioid medication use (OR = 1.21, 95\% CI = 1.14-1.29) over the follow-up. Extraversion was associated with lower risk of persistent pain (OR = 0.83, 95\% CI = 0.80-0.87) and opioid medication use (OR = 0.92, 95\% CI = 0.86-0.97). Similarly, Conscientiousness was associated with lower risk of persistent pain (OR = 0.83, 95\% CI = 0.79-0.87) and opioid medication use (OR = 0.91, 95\% CI = 0.86-0.97).

CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that personality traits are one psychological characteristic that modulates the likelihood of persistent pain and opioid medication use.

}, keywords = {Chronic pain, Personality, Prescription Medication}, issn = {1879-1360}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpsychores.2019.04.019}, url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022399919300315}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Martina Luchetti and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {Sutin2019181, title = {Self-Reported Personality Traits and Informant-Rated Cognition: A 10-Year Prospective Study}, journal = {Journal of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s Disease}, volume = {72}, year = {2019}, note = {cited By 0}, pages = {181-190}, abstract = {Personality traits, such as higher Neuroticism and lower Conscientiousness, are associated with risk of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease and other dementias. A diagnosis of dementia relies, in part, on informant ratings of the individual{\textquoteright}s cognitive status. Here we examine whether self-reported personality traits are associated with four measures of informant-rated cognition up to a decade later. Participants from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 2,536) completed a five-factor model measure of personality in 2006 or 2008. Informants completed the 2016 Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP), which included ratings of the participant{\textquoteright}s current cognitive functioning and change in cognitive function over the last decade assessed with the IQCODE, Blessed, 1066, and CSID. Controlling for characteristics of the participant, informant, and their relationship, higher Neuroticism and lower Conscientiousness were associated consistently with worse informant-rated cognition. The association between Openness and better informant-rated cognition was due primarily to higher baseline cognitive function. Extraversion and Agreeableness were associated with better informant-rated cognition only among participants who were cognitively intact at follow-up. The present research suggests that knowledgeable informants are able to detect cognitive deficits associated with personality. {\textcopyright} 2019 - IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved.}, keywords = {Aged, agreeableness, Article, Cognition, Conscientiousness, extraversion, Female, follow up, human, major clinical study, Male, neurosis, openness, Personality, priority journal, prospective study, Self Report}, issn = {13872877}, doi = {10.3233/JAD-190555}, url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31561364}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {9346, title = {Subjective Age and Cystatin C Among Older Adults.}, journal = {Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences \& Social Sciences}, volume = {74}, year = {2019}, pages = {382-388}, abstract = {

Objective: Cystatin C (CysC) is a marker of kidney function that is relevant for the health and cognition of older adults. Little is known about the link between psychological factors and CysC. Therefore, the present study examined whether subjective age is related to CysC level and changes in CysC over time.

Method: Participants were 5,066 individuals drawn from the Health and Retirement Study aged from 50 to 107 years (60\% women, mean age = 69.36 years, SD = 9.54). They provided data on subjective age, demographic covariates, and CysC at baseline. CysC was assessed again 4 years later.

Results: Analysis revealed that an older subjective age was related to higher level of CysC at baseline and to an increase in CysC over 4 years, controlling for demographic factors. An older subjective age was also related to higher risk of exceeding the clinical threshold of CysC at baseline and 4 years later. Additional analysis revealed that disease burden, depressive symptoms, physical inactivity, and BMI partly mediated these associations.

Conclusion: The present study provides new evidence on the role of subjective age as a psychological factor associated with individuals{\textquoteright} risk of kidney dysfunction, an association beyond chronological age.

}, keywords = {Cystatin C, Health Conditions and Status, Subjective age}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbx124}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Antonio Terracciano and Shevaun Neupert} } @article {10082, title = {Verbal fluency and risk of dementia.}, journal = {International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry}, volume = {34}, year = {2019}, pages = {863-867}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: Verbal fluency is a common neuropsychological test that is impaired in dementia. We test whether verbal fluency is a prospective risk factor for incident dementia, cognitive impairment not dementia (CIND), and conversion from CIND to dementia.

METHODS: Participants (N~=~18~189) from the Health and Retirement Study were administered a standard test of verbal fluency and were assessed for cognitive status every 2~years between baseline and 6~years{\textquoteright} follow-up.

RESULTS: Every standard deviation increase in verbal fluency was associated with an approximately 60\% reduced risk of incident dementia, an approximately 25\% reduced risk of incident CIND, and an approximately 25\% reduced risk of conversion from CIND to dementia. These associations were independent of age, gender, education, race, ethnicity, and APOE risk status. The associations were slightly weaker (but still significant) for African Americans and individuals with lower education. There was no interaction between verbal fluency and APOE risk status.

CONCLUSION: Verbal fluency is an easily administered task that is predictive of incident cognitive impairment.

}, keywords = {Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease, Cognition \& Reasoning}, issn = {1099-1166}, doi = {10.1002/gps.5081}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {9516, title = {Alcohol use and personality change in middle and older adulthood: Findings from the Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {Journal of Personality}, volume = {86}, year = {2018}, pages = {1003-1016}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: Personality is known to predict alcohol consumption, but how alcohol use is related to personality change is less clear, especially at older ages. The present study examined the effects of level of alcohol consumption and history of dependence on change in the Five-Factor Model personality traits in a national cohort of Americans aged over 50.

METHOD: Over 10,000 adults who participated in 2006-2008 waves of the Health and Retirement Study reported on personality and alcohol use and were followed over 4 years.

RESULTS: Latent difference score models indicated decreases in Extraversion to be attenuated for individuals categorized as light-to-moderate drinkers at baseline, whereas decreases in Conscientiousness were accentuated by having experienced alcohol dependence symptoms. Moreover, personality difference scores correlated with changes in the amount of alcohol consumed at follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that patterns of alcohol consumption are associated with changes in personality across the second half of the life span.

}, keywords = {Alcohol Consumption, Personality, Self-reported health}, issn = {1467-6494}, doi = {10.1111/jopy.12371}, author = {Martina Luchetti and Antonio Terracciano and Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin} } @article {9622, title = {Facets of conscientiousness and objective markers of health status}, journal = {Psychology \& Health}, year = {2018}, month = {Feb-05-2018}, pages = {1 - 16}, abstract = {Objective: To examine the association between six facets of conscientiousness (self-control, order, industriousness, traditionalism, virtue, responsibility) and objective markers of health status, including adiposity, blood markers and physical performance. Design: Cross-sectional analysis of participants from the health and retirement study (N = 12,188). Main Outcome Measures: Adiposity (body mass index, waist circumference), blood markers (A1c, HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, cystatin c, c-reactive protein) and physical performance (lung function, grip strength, walking speed). Results: Four of the six facets of conscientiousness were associated with nearly all of the health markers: Self-control, organisation, industriousness and responsibility were related to lower adiposity, healthier metabolic, cardiovascular and inflammatory markers, and better performance on physical assessments. Traditionalism and virtue had fewer associations with these objective markers. Conclusion: This research took a facet-level approach to the association between conscientiousness and objective markers of health status. This research builds on models of conscientiousness and health to suggest that, in addition to health-risk behaviours, facets of conscientiousness are associated with more favourable biomedical markers of health status. {\textcopyright} 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor \& Francis Group }, keywords = {Biomarkers, BMI, Conscientiousness, Physical Ability, Risk Taking}, issn = {0887-0446}, doi = {10.1080/08870446.2018.1464165}, url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08870446.2018.1464165https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/08870446.2018.1464165}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {9293, title = {Facets of conscientiousness and risk of dementia.}, journal = {Psychological Medicine}, volume = {48}, year = {2018}, pages = {974-982}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Multiple studies have found Conscientiousness to be protective against dementia. The purpose of this study is to identify which specific aspects, or facets, of Conscientiousness are most protective against cognitive impairment and whether these associations are moderated by demographic factors and/or genetic risk.

METHODS: Health and Retirement Study participants were selected for analysis if they completed the facets of Conscientiousness measure, scored in the range of normal cognitive functioning at the baseline personality assessment, and had at least one follow-up assessment of cognition over the up to 6-year follow-up (N = 11 181). Cox regression was used to test for risk of incident dementia and risk of incident cognitive impairment not dementia (CIND).

RESULTS: Over the follow-up, 278 participants developed dementia and 2186 participants developed CIND. The facet of responsibility had the strongest and most consistent association with dementia risk: every standard deviation increase in this facet was associated with a nearly 35\% decreased risk of dementia; self-control and industriousness were also protective. Associations were generally similar when controlling for clinical, behavioral, and genetic risk factors. These three facets were also independent predictors of decreased risk of CIND.

CONCLUSIONS: The present research indicates that individuals who see themselves as responsible, able to control their behavior, and hard workers are less likely to develop CIND or dementia and that these associations persist after accounting for some common clinical, behavioral, and genetic risk factors.

}, keywords = {Cognitive Ability, Conscientiousness, Dementia, Risk Factors}, issn = {1469-8978}, doi = {10.1017/S0033291717002306}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {9549, title = {Parental Educational Attainment and Offspring Subjective Well-being and Self-Beliefs in Older Adulthood.}, journal = {Personality and Individual Differences}, volume = {128}, year = {2018}, pages = {139-145}, abstract = {This research examines whether parental educational attainment and subjective childhood socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with adult offspring well-being and self-beliefs (broadly defined). Participants from the Health and Retirement Study were included if they completed the leave-behind questionnaire in 2006 or 2008 (=10,827;=68.38;=9.81; range=50-101). Participants reported on their own and both parents educational attainment, subjective childhood financial situation, and financial difficulties in childhood at study entry and on well-being in 2006/2008. Linear regression was used to examine the association between offspring education, parental education, childhood SES and three aspects of well-being and self-beliefs: positive affect (e.g., positive emotions, optimism), negative affect (e.g., loneliness, hostility), and cognitive evaluation (e.g., life satisfaction). Participants with more education reported higher well-being (median β=.12). Parental educational attainment, subjective childhood SES, and a significant financial event during childhood were associated with more positive affect, less negative affect, and higher life satisfaction (median β=.05); these associations held controlling for offspring education. The educational and financial environment of childhood may hamper well-being into older adulthood; the offspring{\textquoteright}s own experiences and achievements do not completely attenuate the association with these aspects of the childhood environment.}, keywords = {Education, Multigenerational, Self-perception, Subjective Expectations, Well-being}, issn = {0191-8869}, doi = {10.1016/j.paid.2018.01.023}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {9853, title = {Perceived weight discrimination and risk of incident dementia}, journal = {International Journal of Obesity}, year = {2018}, month = {Dec-09-2019}, abstract = {Body mass index (BMI) and obesity have a complex relation with risk of dementia that evolves over the lifespan. Research in other domains indicates that the social experience of body weight, not just BMI, is associated with worse health outcomes. The present research uses data from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 12,053) to test whether weight discrimination is associated with increased risk of dementia over an up to 10-year follow-up independent of BMI and other relevant clinical and behavioral risk factors. Participants who reported weight discrimination had a 40\% increased risk of incident dementia (Hazard Ratio = 1.40; 95\% Confidence Interval = 1.12{\textendash}1.74), controlling for age, sex, race, ethnicity, and education. The association between weight discrimination and incident dementia held controlling for BMI, diabetes, hypertension, depressive symptoms, smoking, physical activity, and genetic risk status. The present research indicates that the stigma associated with weight is associated with dementia risk independent from obesity. This research highlights that the detrimental effect of obesity on cognitive health in older adulthood may occur through the adverse social experience of body weight in addition to the biological consequences of excess weight. {\textcopyright} 2018, Springer Nature Limited. }, keywords = {BMI, Cognitive Ability, Dementia, Obesity, Stigma}, issn = {0307-0565}, doi = {10.1038/s41366-018-0211-1}, url = {http://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-018-0211-1http://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-018-0211-1.pdfhttp://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-018-0211-1.pdfhttp://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-018-0211-1}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Robinson, Eric and Daly, Michael and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {9406, title = {Personality and Sleep Quality: Evidence From Four Prospective Studies.}, journal = {Health Psychology}, volume = {37}, year = {2018}, pages = {271-281}, abstract = {Objective: The present study examined the longitudinal association between personality traits and sleep quality in 4 samples of middle-aged and older adults. Method: Participants (N > 22,000) were adults aged 30 to 107 years old from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS), the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS), the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), and the Midlife in Japan Study (MIDJA). Personality and sleep quality were assessed at baseline and again 4 to 10 years later. Results: Scoring lower on neuroticism and higher on extraversion was associated with better sleep quality at baseline and over time, with effect sizes larger than those of demographic factors. Low conscientiousness was associated with a worsening of sleep quality over time. Openness and agreeableness were unrelated to sleep quality. Poor sleep quality at baseline was associated with steeper declines in extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness and a smaller decrease in neuroticism over time. Conclusion: Replicable findings across samples support longitudinal associations between personality and sleep quality. This study identified specific personality traits that are associated with poor and worsening sleep quality, and substantiated previous findings that poor sleep quality is associated with detrimental personality trajectories.}, keywords = {Meta-analyses, Personality, Sleep}, issn = {0278-6133}, doi = {10.1037/hea0000577}, url = {http://doi.apa.org/getdoi.cfm?doi=10.1037/hea0000577http://psycnet.apa.org/psycarticles/2017-52631-001.pdf}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Bayard, Sophie and Kri{\v z}an, Zlatan and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {9982, title = {Personality and walking speed across adulthood: Prospective evidence from five samples}, journal = {Social Psychological and Personality Science}, volume = {9}, year = {2018}, pages = {773-780}, abstract = {Walking speed is one marker of health in adulthood. Although personality may contribute to gait speed, there is limited longitudinal data on this association. Thus, the present study examined whether personality traits are prospectively associated with walking speed among middle aged and older adults. Participants were adults aged from 25 to 100 years old (N > 15,000) drawn from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Graduate and Sibling samples, the Midlife in the United States Survey, the Health and Retirement Study, and the National Health and Aging Trends Survey. Across most samples and in a meta-analysis, lower neuroticism and higher extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness at baseline were prospectively related to faster gait speed. In the HRS, lower neuroticism and higher extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness were related to slower gait speed decline. This study provides robust evidence that walking speed in adulthood reflects, in part, the individual{\textquoteright}s personality.}, keywords = {Cognition \& Reasoning, Gait speed, Personality}, issn = {1948-5506}, doi = {10.1177/1948550617725152}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Bovier-Lapierre, Gabriel and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {9941, title = {Polygenic Score for Alzheimer Disease and cognition: The mediating role of personality.}, journal = {Journal of Psychiatric Research}, volume = {107}, year = {2018}, pages = {110-113}, abstract = {Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease (AD) polygenic risk score (PGS) is associated with lower cognitive functioning even among older individuals without dementia. We tested the hypothesis that personality traits mediate the association between AD genetic risk and cognitive functioning. Participants (N > 7,000, aged 50-99 years old) from the Health and Retirement Study were genotyped and completed personality and cognition tests at baseline. Cognition was assessed again four years later. Bootstrap analysis revealed that a higher AD polygenic risk score was associated with lower cognitive scores at baseline through higher neuroticism, lower conscientiousness, and lower levels of the industriousness facet of conscientiousness. In addition, a higher polygenic score for AD was associated with decline in cognition over four years in part through higher neuroticism and lower conscientiousness. The findings support the hypothesis that the genetic vulnerability for AD contributes to cognitive functioning in part through its association with personality traits.}, keywords = {Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease, Cognition \& Reasoning, Personality, PGS}, issn = {1879-1379}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.10.015}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Pauline Caille and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {9808, title = {Psychological Distress, Self-Beliefs, and Risk of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia.}, journal = {Journal of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s Disease}, volume = {65}, year = {2018}, pages = {1041-1050}, abstract = {Depressive symptoms and a history of mental disorders are associated with increased risk for dementia. Less is known about whether other aspects of psychological distress and negative self-beliefs also increase risk. The purpose of this research is to examine 1) whether eight aspects of psychological distress and self-beliefs (anxiety, negative affect, hostility, anger-in, anger-out, hopelessness, pessimism, perceived constraints) are associated with risk of incident dementia and cognitive impairment not dementia (CIND), 2) whether the associations are independent of depressive symptoms and history of a mental health diagnosis, and 3) whether the associations are also independent of behavioral, clinical, and genetic risk factors. A total of 9,913 participants (60\% female) from the Health and Retirement Study completed the baseline measures, scored in the non-impaired range of cognition at baseline, and had cognitive status assessed across the 6-8-year follow-up. Baseline measures included eight aspects of psychological distress and self-beliefs, cognitive performance, depressive symptoms, and genetic, clinical, and behavioral risk factors. Participants who scored higher on anxiety, negative affect, hostility, pessimism, hopelessness, and perceived constraints were at a 20-30\% increased risk of dementia and a 10-20\% increased risk of CIND. The associations held controlling for baseline depressive symptoms, history of a mental health diagnosis, clinical and behavioral risk factors, and genetic risk. Anger-in and anger-out were unrelated to risk of either dementia or CIND. Independent of the core experience of depressed affect, other aspects of negative emotionality and self-beliefs increase risk of mild and severe cognitive impairment, which suggests additional targets of intervention.}, keywords = {Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease, Cognitive Ability, Dementia, Depressive symptoms}, issn = {1875-8908}, doi = {10.3233/JAD-180119}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {9448, title = {Psychological well-being and risk of dementia.}, journal = {International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry}, volume = {33}, year = {2018}, month = {05/2018}, pages = {743-747}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: Well-being is a psychological resource that buffers against age-related disease. We test whether this protective effect extends to dementia and whether it is independent of distress.

METHODS: Participants (N~=~10,099) were from the Health and Retirement Study. Five aspects of positive psychological functioning (life satisfaction, optimism, mastery, purpose in life, and positive affect) were tested as predictors of incident dementia over 6 to 8~years.

RESULTS: Purpose in life was associated with a 30\% decreased risk of dementia, independent of psychological distress, other clinical and behavioral risk factors, income/wealth, and genetic risk. After controlling for distress and other risk factors, the other aspects of well-being were not associated with dementia risk.

CONCLUSIONS: After considering psychological distress, we found that measures of well-being were generally not protective against risk of dementia. An exception is purpose in life, which suggests that a meaningful and goal-driven life reduces risk of dementia.

}, keywords = {Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease, Dementia, Depressive symptoms, Health Conditions and Status, Well-being}, issn = {1099-1166}, doi = {10.1002/gps.4849}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {9296, title = {Self-reported personality traits are prospectively associated with proxy-reported behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia at the end of life.}, journal = {International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry}, volume = {33}, year = {2018}, pages = {489-494}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are among the most challenging aspects of Alzheimer disease for patients and their families. Previous studies have found associations between informant-reported retrospective personality and BPSD; we test whether prospective, self-reported personality predicts who will experience these symptoms.

METHODS: Deceased participants from the Health and Retirement Study who had evidence of cognitive impairment at the end of life (N~=~1988) were selected to examine whether self-reported five-factor model personality traits, measured up to 8~years before death, were associated with proxy-reported BPSD.

RESULTS: Neuroticism was associated with increased risk of the 7 BPSD: got lost in familiar places, wandered off, were not able to be left alone, experienced hallucinations, suffered from depression, had periodic confusion, and an uncontrolled temper. These associations were not moderated by age, gender, race, or education. Conscientiousness was associated with fewer symptoms overall and especially with lower risk of getting lost in familiar places and not being able to be left alone.

CONCLUSIONS: The present research indicates that self-reported personality, particularly Neuroticism, is associated prospectively with risk for a wide range of behavioral symptoms for individuals who had cognitive impairment at the end of life. The use of self-reported personality traits can help aid in identifying who is most at risk for behavioral symptoms. Such information may be useful for nonpharmacological interventions tailored to the individual{\textquoteright}s personality to reduce the prevalence and burden of these BPSD.

}, keywords = {Cognitive Ability, Dementia, Personality, Self-reported health}, issn = {1099-1166}, doi = {10.1002/gps.4782}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Martina Luchetti and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {9768, title = {Subjective Age and Mortality in Three Longitudinal Samples.}, journal = {Psychosomatic Medicine}, volume = {80}, year = {2018}, pages = {659-664}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: Subjective age has been implicated in a range of health outcomes. The present study extends existing research by providing new data on the relation between subjective age and mortality in three large national samples.

METHODS: Participants (total N > 17,000) were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, 2008-2014), the Midlife in the United State Survey (MIDUS, 1995-2014), and the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS, 2011-2014). Subjective age, demographic factors, disease burden, functional limitations, depressive symptoms, and physical inactivity were assessed at baseline and mortality data were tracked for up to 20 years. Cognition was also included as a covariate in the HRS and the NHATS.

RESULTS: Individuals felt on average 15\% to 16\% younger relative to their chronological age. Feeling approximately 8, 11, and 13 years older in the MIDUS, HRS, and NHATS, was related to an 18\%, 29\% and 25\% higher risk of mortality, respectively. This pattern was confirmed by a meta-analysis of the three samples (HR = 1.24; 95\%CI = 1.17-1.31, p<.001). Multivariate analyses showed that disease burden, physical inactivity, functional limitations, and cognitive problems, but not depressive symptoms, accounted for the associations between subjective age and mortality.

CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides robust evidence for an association between an older subjective age and a higher risk of mortality across adulthood. These findings support the role of subjective age as a biopsychosocial marker of aging.

}, keywords = {Mortality, Subjective age, Subjective Expectations}, issn = {1534-7796}, doi = {10.1097/PSY.0000000000000613}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {8575, title = {Feeling Older and the Development of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia.}, journal = {J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci}, volume = {72}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 Oct 01}, pages = {966-973}, abstract = {

Objective: Subjective age is a biopsychosocial marker of aging associated with a range of outcomes in old age. In the domain of cognition, feeling older than one{\textquoteright}s chronological age is related to lower cognitive performance and steeper cognitive decline among older adults. The present study examines whether an older subjective age is associated with the risk of incident cognitive impairment and dementia.

Method: Participants were 5,748 individuals aged 65 years and older drawn from the Health and Retirement Study. Measures of subjective age, cognition, and covariates were obtained at baseline, and follow-up cognition was assessed over a 2- to 4-year period. Only participants without cognitive impairment were included at baseline. At follow-up, participants were classified into one of the three categories: normal functioning, cognitive impairment without dementia (CIND), and dementia.

Results: An older subjective age at baseline was associated with higher likelihood of CIND (odds ratio [OR] = 1.18; 1.09-1.28) and dementia (OR = 1.29; 1.02-1.63) at follow-up, controlling for chronological age, other demographic factors, and baseline cognition. Physical inactivity and depressive symptoms partly accounted for these associations.

Conclusion: An older subjective age is a marker of individuals{\textquoteright} risk of subsequent cognitive impairment and dementia.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Alzheimer disease, Cognitive Dysfunction, depression, disease progression, Female, Health Behavior, Humans, Life Style, Likelihood Functions, Logistic Models, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Risk Factors, Self Concept}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbw085}, url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27436103}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {8700, title = {Perceived weight discrimination mediates the prospective relation between obesity and depressive symptoms in U.S. and U.K. adults.}, journal = {Health Psychol}, volume = {36}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 Feb}, pages = {112-121}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: Obesity has been shown to increase risk of depression. Persons with obesity experience discrimination because of their body weight. Across 3 studies, we tested for the first time whether experiencing (perceived) weight-based discrimination explains why obesity is prospectively associated with increases in depressive symptoms.

METHOD: Data from 3 studies, including the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2008/2009-2012/2013), the Health and Retirement Study (2006/2008-2010/2012), and Midlife in the United States (1995/1996-2004/2005), were used to examine associations between obesity, perceived weight discrimination, and depressive symptoms among 20,286 U.S. and U.K. adults.

RESULTS: Across all 3 studies, Class II and III obesity were reliably associated with increases in depressive symptoms from baseline to follow-up. Perceived weight-based discrimination predicted increases in depressive symptoms over time and mediated the prospective association between obesity and depressive symptoms in all 3 studies. Persons with Class II and III obesity were more likely to report experiencing weight-based discrimination, and this explained approximately 31\% of the obesity-related increase in depressive symptoms on average across the 3 studies.

CONCLUSION: In U.S. and U.K. samples, the prospective association between obesity (defined using body mass index) and increases in depressive symptoms in adulthood may in part be explained by perceived weight discrimination. (PsycINFO Database Record

}, keywords = {Adult, Aged, Body Weight, depression, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Obesity, Prejudice, Prospective Studies, United Kingdom, United States, Young Adult}, issn = {1930-7810}, doi = {10.1037/hea0000426}, author = {Robinson, Eric and Angelina R Sutin and Daly, Michael} } @article {6519, title = {Personality and Lung Function in Older Adults.}, journal = {J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci}, volume = {72}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 Oct 01}, pages = {913-921}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: Lung disease is a leading cause of disability and death among older adults. We examine whether personality traits are associated with lung function and shortness of breath (dyspnea) in a national cohort with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

METHOD: Participants (N = 12,670) from the Health and Retirement Study were tested for peak expiratory flow (PEF) and completed measures of personality, health behaviors, and a medical history.

RESULTS: High neuroticism and low extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were associated with lower PEF, and higher likelihood of COPD and dyspnea. Conscientiousness had the strongest and most consistent associations, including lower risk of PEF less than 80\% of the predicted value (OR = 0.67; 0.62-0.73) and dyspnea (OR = 0.52; 0.47-0.57). Although attenuated, the associations remained significant when accounting for smoking, physical activity, and chronic diseases including cardiovascular and psychiatric disorders. The associations between personality and PEF or dyspnea were similar among those with or without COPD, suggesting that psychological links to lung function are not disease dependent. In longitudinal analyses, high neuroticism (β = -0.019) and low conscientiousness (β = 0.027) predicted steeper declines in PEF.

DISCUSSION: A vulnerable personality profile is common among individuals with limited lung function and COPD, predicts shortness of breath and worsening lung function.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Anxiety Disorders, Character, Disease Susceptibility, Dyspnea, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Health Behavior, Humans, Male, Medical History Taking, Middle Aged, Neuroticism, Peak Expiratory Flow Rate, Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive, Risk Factors}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbv161}, url = {http://psychsocgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2016/01/18/geronb.gbv161.abstract}, author = {Antonio Terracciano and Yannick Stephan and Martina Luchetti and Gonzalez-Rothi, Ricardo and Angelina R Sutin} } @article {8906, title = {Personality traits and risk of cognitive impairment and dementia.}, journal = {Journal of Psychiatric Research}, volume = {89}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 Jan 22}, pages = {22-27}, abstract = {

We investigated the association between five factor model personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) and risk of dementia, cognitive impairment not dementia (CIND), and conversion from CIND to dementia in a large national cohort. Participants from the Health and Retirement Study (N~>~10,000) completed a personality scale in 2006-2008 and their cognitive status was tracked for up to 8 years using the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICSm). Adjusting for age, sex, education, race, and ethnicity, lower conscientiousness and agreeableness and higher neuroticism were independently associated with increased risk of dementia. These associations remained significant after adjusting for other risk factors for dementia, including income, wealth, smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and blood biomarkers. These associations were not modified by age, sex, race, ethnicity, and education, suggesting that the associations of personality with risk of dementia were similar across demographic groups. Neuroticism and conscientiousness were also associated with risk of CIND. Low conscientiousness predicted conversion from CIND to dementia. Using brief assessments of personality and cognition, we found robust evidence that personality is associated with risk of cognitive impairment and dementia in a large national sample.

}, keywords = {Cognitive Ability, Dementia, Older Adults, Personality}, issn = {1879-1379}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpsychires.2017.01.011}, author = {Antonio Terracciano and Yannick Stephan and Martina Luchetti and Albanese, Emiliano and Angelina R Sutin} } @article {8958, title = {Sensory functioning and personality development among older adults.}, journal = {Psychology and Aging}, volume = {32}, year = {2017}, month = {03/2017}, pages = {139-147}, abstract = {Deficits in sensory functioning, such as poor vision and hearing, take a significant toll on quality of life. Little is known, however, about their relation with personality development across adulthood. This study examined whether baseline and change in vision and hearing were associated with personality change over a 4-year period. Participants (N = 7,471; Mage = 66.89; 59\% women) were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study. They provided data on vision, hearing, and personality both at baseline and 4 years later. Poor vision and hearing at baseline and declines in vision and hearing over time were independently related to steeper declines in extraversion, agreeableness, openness, and conscientiousness, and less decline in neuroticism, controlling for demographic factors, disease burden, and depressive symptoms. Sensory functioning was generally a stronger predictor of personality change than disease burden or depressive symptoms. Consistent with evidence that poor and worsening sensory functions compromise individuals{\textquoteright} interactions with the social and physical environment, this study found deficits in hearing and vision were also associated with maladaptive personality trajectories in older adults. }, keywords = {Older Adults, Personality}, issn = {1939-1498}, doi = {10.1037/pag0000159}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Bosselut, Gr{\'e}goire and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {9079, title = {Subjective age and sleep in middle-aged and older adults.}, journal = {Psychology \& Health}, volume = {32}, year = {2017}, pages = {1140-1151}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: Chronological age is commonly used to explain change in sleep. The present study examines whether subjective age is associated with change in sleep difficulties across middle adulthood and old age.

DESIGN: Participants were drawn from the second (2004-2005) and third (2013-2014) waves of the Midlife in the United States Survey (MIDUS, N~=~2350; Mean Age: 55.54~years), the 2008 and 2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, N~=~4066; Mean Age: 67.59~years) and the first (2011) and fourth (2014) waves of the National Health and Aging Trends Survey (NHATS, N~=~3541; Mean Age: 76.46). In each sample, subjective age, sleep difficulties, depressive symptoms, anxiety and chronic conditions were assessed at baseline. Sleep difficulties was assessed again at follow-up.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sleep difficulties.

RESULTS: An older subjective age at baseline was related to an increase in sleep difficulties over time in the three samples, and was mediated, in part, through more depressive symptoms, anxiety and chronic conditions. Feeling older was associated with an increased likelihood of major sleeping difficulties at follow-up in the three samples.

CONCLUSION: Subjective age is a salient marker of individuals{\textquoteright} at risk for poor sleep quality, beyond chronological age.

}, keywords = {Anxiety, Depressive symptoms, Sleep}, issn = {1476-8321}, doi = {10.1080/08870446.2017.1324971}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Bayard, Sophie and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {8399, title = {Allostatic Load and Personality: A 4-Year Longitudinal Study.}, journal = {Psychosom Med}, volume = {78}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 04}, pages = {302-10}, publisher = {78}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: Dysregulation across multiple physiological systems, referred to as allostatic load, has pervasive consequences for an individual{\textquoteright}s health. The present study examined whether allostatic load is associated with personality and personality changes during a 4-year follow-up.

METHODS: A total of 5200 participants aged from 50 to 99 years (59.5\% women, mean [standard deviation] age = 66.91 [8.88] years) from the Health and Retirement Study provided data on cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune markers at baseline and personality both at baseline and at 4 years later.

RESULTS: Higher allostatic load was related to higher neuroticism (β = 0.03, p = .042), lower extraversion (β = -0.06, p < .001), and lower conscientiousness (β = -0.06, p < .001) at baseline, and to declines in extraversion (β = -0.03, p = .007), conscientiousness (β = -0.04, p < .001), and agreeableness (β = -0.02, p = .020) over the 4-year period, controlling for demographic covariates. A significant quadratic relation between allostatic load and changes in openness (β = -0.03, p = .002) suggested that openness declines when individuals exceed a high level of cumulative physiological dysregulation. No association was found with changes in neuroticism.

CONCLUSIONS: Allostatic load is associated with personality change across adulthood and old age. The findings indicate that physiological dysregulation across multiple systems challenges personality stability and is associated with accelerated personality traits change.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Allostasis, Anxiety Disorders, Biomarkers, Conscience, Extraversion, Psychological, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Neuroticism, Personality}, issn = {1534-7796}, doi = {10.1097/PSY.0000000000000281}, url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26716813}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {8405, title = {Feeling older and risk of hospitalization: Evidence from three longitudinal cohorts}, journal = {Health Psychology}, volume = {35}, year = {2016}, pages = {634-637}, publisher = {35}, abstract = {Objective: Subjective age is a biopsychosocial marker of aging with a range of health-related implications. Using 3 longitudinal samples, this study examined whether subjective age predicts hospitalization among older adults. Method: Participants were adults aged from 24 to 102 years old, drawn from the 1995 1996 and 2004 2005 waves of the Midlife in the United States Survey (MIDUS, N = 3209), the 2008 and 2012 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, N = 3779), and the 2011 and 2013 waves of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS, N = 3418). In each sample, subjective age and covariates were assessed at baseline and hospitalization was assessed at follow-up. Results: Consistent across the 3 samples, participants who felt subjectively older at baseline had an increased likelihood of hospitalization (combined effect size: 1.17, 95 CI 1.11 1.23), controlling for age, sex, race, and education. Further adjusting for disease burden and depression reduced the magnitude of the association between subjective age and hospitalization in the 3 samples, but it remained significant in the MIDUS and HRS. Conclusion: This study provides consistent evidence that subjective age predicts incident hospitalization. Subjective age assessment can help identify individuals at greater risk of hospitalization, who may benefit from prevention and intervention efforts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)}, keywords = {Health Conditions and Status, Healthcare, Risk Taking}, doi = {10.1037/hea0000335}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {8618, title = {Genetic variants associated with subjective well-being, depressive symptoms, and neuroticism identified through genome-wide analyses.}, journal = {Nat Genet}, volume = {48}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 06}, pages = {624-33}, abstract = {

Very few genetic variants have been associated with depression and neuroticism, likely because of limitations on sample size in previous studies. Subjective well-being, a phenotype that is genetically correlated with both of these traits, has not yet been studied with genome-wide data. We conducted genome-wide association studies of three phenotypes: subjective well-being (n = 298,420), depressive symptoms (n = 161,460), and neuroticism (n = 170,911). We identify 3 variants associated with subjective well-being, 2 variants associated with depressive symptoms, and 11 variants associated with neuroticism, including 2 inversion polymorphisms. The two loci associated with depressive symptoms replicate in an independent depression sample. Joint analyses that exploit the high genetic correlations between the phenotypes (|ρ^| ≈ 0.8) strengthen the overall credibility of the findings and allow us to identify additional variants. Across our phenotypes, loci regulating expression in central nervous system and adrenal or pancreas tissues are strongly enriched for association.

}, keywords = {Anxiety Disorders, Bayes Theorem, depression, Genome-Wide Association Study, Humans, Neuroticism, Phenotype, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide}, issn = {1546-1718}, doi = {10.1038/ng.3552}, author = {Okbay, Aysu and Baselmans, Bart M L and De Neve, Jan-Emmanuel and Turley, Patrick and Nivard, Michel G and Mark Alan Fontana and Meddens, S Fleur W and Richard Karlsson Linn{\'e}r and Cornelius A Rietveld and Derringer, Jaime and Gratten, Jacob and Lee, James J and Liu, Jimmy Z and de Vlaming, Ronald and Ahluwalia, Tarunveer S and Buchwald, Jadwiga and Cavadino, Alana and Frazier-Wood, Alexis C and Furlotte, Nicholas A and Garfield, Victoria and Geisel, Marie Henrike and Gonzalez, Juan R and Haitjema, Saskia and Karlsson, Robert and van der Laan, Sander W and Ladwig, Karl-Heinz and J. Lahti and Sven J van der Lee and Penelope A Lind and Tian Liu and Lindsay K Matteson and Mihailov, Evelin and Michael B Miller and Minica, Camelia C and Ilja M Nolte and Dennis O Mook-Kanamori and van der Most, Peter J and Christopher J Oldmeadow and Qian, Yong and Olli T Raitakari and Rawal, Rajesh and Realo, Anu and Rueedi, Rico and Schmidt, B{\"o}rge and Albert Vernon Smith and Stergiakouli, Evie and Toshiko Tanaka and Kent D Taylor and Wedenoja, Juho and J{\"u}rgen Wellmann and Westra, Harm-Jan and Willems, Sara M and Wei Zhao and Amin, Najaf and Bakshi, Andrew and Patricia A. Boyle and Cherney, Samantha and Cox, Simon R and Gail Davies and Davis, Oliver S P and Ding, Jun and Nese Direk and Eibich, Peter and Emeny, Rebecca T and Fatemifar, Ghazaleh and Jessica Faul and Luigi Ferrucci and Andreas J Forstner and Gieger, Christian and Gupta, Richa and Tamara B Harris and Harris, Juliette M and Holliday, Elizabeth G and Jouke-Jan Hottenga and Philip L de Jager and Marika A Kaakinen and Kajantie, Eero and Karhunen, Ville and Kolcic, Ivana and Kumari, Meena and Lenore J Launer and Lude L Franke and Li-Gao, Ruifang and Koini, Marisa and Loukola, Anu and Marques-Vidal, Pedro and Grant W Montgomery and Mosing, Miriam A and Paternoster, Lavinia and Pattie, Alison and Katja E Petrovic and Pulkki-Raback, Laura and Quaye, Lydia and Katri R{\"a}ikk{\"o}nen and Rudan, Igor and Rodney J Scott and Jennifer A Smith and Angelina R Sutin and Trzaskowski, Maciej and Anna A E Vinkhuyzen and Lei Yu and Zabaneh, Delilah and John R. Attia and David A Bennett and Klaus Berger and Bertram, Lars and Dorret I Boomsma and Snieder, Harold and Chang, Shun-Chiao and Francesco Cucca and Ian J Deary and Cornelia M van Duijn and Johan G Eriksson and B{\"u}ltmann, Ute and Eco J. C. de Geus and Groenen, Patrick J F and Gudnason, Vilmundur and Hansen, Torben and Catharina A Hartman and Haworth, Claire M A and Caroline Hayward and Andrew C Heath and Hinds, David A and Hypp{\"o}nen, Elina and Iacono, William G and J{\"a}rvelin, Marjo-Riitta and J{\"o}ckel, Karl-Heinz and Kaprio, Jaakko and Sharon L R Kardia and Keltikangas-J{\"a}rvinen, Liisa and Kraft, Peter and Laura D Kubzansky and Lehtim{\"a}ki, Terho and Patrik K E Magnusson and Nicholas G Martin and McGue, Matt and Andres Metspalu and Melinda C Mills and de Mutsert, Ren{\'e}e and Oldehinkel, Albertine J and Pasterkamp, Gerard and Nancy L Pedersen and Plomin, Robert and Polasek, Ozren and Power, Christine and Rich, Stephen S and Rosendaal, Frits R and Hester M. den Ruijter and Schlessinger, David and Schmidt, Helena and Svento, Rauli and Schmidt, Reinhold and Alizadeh, Behrooz Z and Thorkild I. A. S{\o}rensen and Timothy Spector and Andrew Steptoe and Antonio Terracciano and A. Roy Thurik and Nicholas J Timpson and Henning Tiemeier and Andr{\'e} G Uitterlinden and Vollenweider, Peter and Wagner, Gert G and David R Weir and Yang, Jian and Dalton C Conley and Hofman, Albert and Johannesson, Magnus and David I Laibson and Sarah E Medland and Meyer, Michelle N and Pickrell, Joseph K and T{\~o}nu Esko and Krueger, Robert F and Jonathan P. Beauchamp and Philipp D Koellinger and Daniel J. Benjamin and Bartels, Meike and Cesarini, David} } @article {8343, title = {Perceived discrimination and personality development in adulthood}, journal = {Developmental Psychology}, volume = {52}, year = {2016}, pages = {155}, publisher = {52}, abstract = {Perceived discrimination is common and a significant source of stress that may have implications for personality development across adulthood. In this study, we examined whether experiences with discrimination were associated with maladaptive changes in the 5 major dimensions of personality using 2 longitudinal samples that differed in age and follow-up interval. In the Health and Retirement Study, participants who perceived discrimination increased in their tendency to experience negative emotions (neuroticism), decreased in their tendency to be trusting (agreeableness), and decreased in their tendency to be organized and disciplined (conscientiousness). These associations replicated using participants from the Midlife in the United States study. The findings indicate that social pathways, in addition to biological and developmental tasks, are important for adult personality development. (PsycINFO Database Record}, keywords = {Health Conditions and Status, Methodology}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {8534, title = {Somatic, positive and negative domains of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scale: a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies.}, journal = {Psychol Med}, volume = {46}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 06}, pages = {1613-23}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is moderately heritable, however genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for MDD, as well as for related continuous outcomes, have not shown consistent results. Attempts to elucidate the genetic basis of MDD may be hindered by heterogeneity in diagnosis. The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scale provides a widely used tool for measuring depressive symptoms clustered in four different domains which can be combined together into a total score but also can be analysed as separate symptom domains.

METHOD: We performed a meta-analysis of GWAS of the CES-D symptom clusters. We recruited 12 cohorts with the 20- or 10-item CES-D scale (32 528 persons).

RESULTS: One single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs713224, located near the brain-expressed melatonin receptor (MTNR1A) gene, was associated with the somatic complaints domain of depression symptoms, with borderline genome-wide significance (p discovery = 3.82 {\texttimes} 10-8). The SNP was analysed in an additional five cohorts comprising the replication sample (6813 persons). However, the association was not consistent among the replication sample (p discovery+replication = 1.10 {\texttimes} 10-6) with evidence of heterogeneity.

CONCLUSIONS: Despite the effort to harmonize the phenotypes across cohorts and participants, our study is still underpowered to detect consistent association for depression, even by means of symptom classification. On the contrary, the SNP-based heritability and co-heritability estimation results suggest that a very minor part of the variation could be captured by GWAS, explaining the reason of sparse findings.

}, keywords = {depression, Depressive Disorder, Major, Genome-Wide Association Study, Humans, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Receptor, Melatonin, MT1, Somatoform Disorders}, issn = {1469-8978}, doi = {10.1017/S0033291715002081}, url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26997408}, author = {Demirkan, A and J. Lahti and Nese Direk and Viktorin, A. and Kathryn L Lunetta and Antonio Terracciano and Michael A Nalls and Toshiko Tanaka and Karin Hek and Myriam Fornage and J{\"u}rgen Wellmann and Marilyn C Cornelis and Ollila, H. M. and Lei Yu and Luke C Pilling and Isaacs, A and Aarno Palotie and Wei Vivian Zhuang and Alan B Zonderman and Jessica Faul and Angelina R Sutin and Osorio Meirelles and Mulas, A and Hofman, A and Andr{\'e} G Uitterlinden and Fernando Rivadeneira and Markus Perola and Wei Zhao and Veikko Salomaa and Kristine Yaffe and Luik, A I and Yongmei Liu and Ding, J and Paul Lichtenstein and Land{\'e}n, M and Elisabeth Widen and David R Weir and David J Llewellyn and Murray, A and Sharon L R Kardia and Johan G Eriksson and Karestan C Koenen and Patrik K E Magnusson and Luigi Ferrucci and Thomas H Mosley and Francesco Cucca and Ben A Oostra and David A Bennett and Paunio, T. and Klaus Berger and Tamara B Harris and Nancy L Pedersen and Joanne M Murabito and Henning Tiemeier and Cornelia M van Duijn and Katri R{\"a}ikk{\"o}nen} } @article {6445, title = {Subjective Age and Changes in Memory in Older Adults}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences}, volume = {71}, year = {2016}, pages = {675-683}, chapter = {675}, abstract = {Objective. The subjective experience of aging, indexed by how old or young an individual feels, has been related to well-being and health-related outcomes among older adults. The present study examined whether subjective age is associated with memory level and changes, as indexed by measures of immediate and delayed recall. A complementary purpose was to test the mediating role of depressive symptoms and physical activity in the relation between subjective age and memory changes. Method. Participants were drawn from three waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Subjective age, baseline memory measures, and covariates were assessed during the 2008 wave (N = 5809), depressive symptoms and physical activity were assessed again in the 2010 wave, and the follow-up memory measures were assessed in the 2012 wave. Results. Regression analyses that included demographic, metabolic, and vascular covariates revealed that a younger subjective age at baseline was associated with better concurrent performance and with slower decline in immediate and delayed recall. Bootstrap procedures indicated that fewer depressive symptoms mediated these associations. Additional analyses revealed that memory level and change were unrelated to changes in subjective age. Conclusion. Beyond chronological age, the subjective experience of age is associated with cognitive aging.}, keywords = {Expectations, Health Conditions and Status}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbv010}, url = {http://psychsocgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2015/03/05/geronb.gbv010.abstract}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Caudroit, Johan and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {8208, title = {Feeling younger, walking faster : subjective age and walking speed in older adults}, journal = {Age}, volume = {37}, year = {2015}, note = {Export Date: 9 September 2015}, pages = {9830-9830}, publisher = {37}, abstract = {Walking speed is a key vital sign in older people. Given the implications of slower gait speed, a large literature has identified health-related, behavioral, cognitive, and biological factors that moderate age-related decline in mobility. The present study aims to contribute to existing knowledge by examining whether subjective age, how old or young individuals experience themselves to be relative to their chronological age, contributes to walking speed. Participants were drawn from the 2008 and 2012 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, N = 2970) and the 2011 and 2013 waves of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS, N = 5423). In both the HRS and the NHATS, linear regression analysis revealed that a younger subjective age was associated with faster walking speed at baseline and with less decline over time, controlling for age, sex, education, and race. These associations were partly accounted for by depressive symptoms, disease burden, physical activity, cognition, body mass index, and smoking. Additional analysis revealed that feeling younger than one s age was associated with a reduced risk of walking slower than the frailty-related threshold of 0.6 m/s at follow-up in the HRS. The present study provides novel and consistent evidence across two large prospective studies for an association between the subjective experience of age and walking speed of older adults. Subjective age may help identify individuals at risk for mobility limitations in old age and may be a target for interventions designed to mitigate functional decline. 2015, American Aging Association.}, keywords = {Demographics, Expectations, Health Conditions and Status}, doi = {10.1007/s11357-015-9830-9}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {8308, title = {How old do you feel? The role of age discrimination and biological aging in subjective age.}, journal = {PLoS One}, volume = {10}, year = {2015}, note = {Times Cited: 0 0}, month = {2015}, pages = {e0119293}, publisher = {10}, abstract = {

Subjective age, or how young or old individuals experience themselves to be relative to their chronological age, is a crucial construct in gerontology. Subjective age is a significant predictor of important health outcomes, but little is known about the criteria by which individuals{\textquoteright} subjectively evaluate their age. To identify psychosocial and biomedical factors linked to the subjective evaluation of age, this study examined whether perceived age discrimination and markers of biological aging are associated with subjective age. Participants were 4776 adults (Mage = 68) from the 2008 and 2010 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) who completed measures of subjective age, age discrimination, demographic variables, self-rated health and depression, and had physical health measures, including peak expiratory flow, grip strength, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Telomere length was available for a subset of participants in the 2008 wave (n = 2214). Regression analysis indicated that perceived age discrimination, lower peak expiratory flow, lower grip strength, and higher waist circumference were associated with an older subjective age, controlling for sociodemographic factors, self-rated health, and depression. In contrast, blood pressure and telomere length were not related to subjective age. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that how old a person feels depends in part on psychosocial and biomedical factors, including the experiences of ageism and perceptible indices of fitness and biological age.

}, keywords = {Aerobiosis, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena, Cellular Senescence, Discrimination, Psychological, Emotions, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Muscle Strength, Perception}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0119293}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {8254, title = {Perceived discrimination and physical, cognitive, and emotional health in older~adulthood.}, journal = {Am J Geriatr Psychiatry}, volume = {23}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Feb}, pages = {171-9}, publisher = {23}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether perceived discrimination based on multiple personal characteristics is associated with physical, emotional, and cognitive health concurrently, prospectively, and with change in health over time among older adults.

DESIGN: Longitudinal.

SETTING: Health and Retirement Study (HRS).

PARTICIPANTS: Participants (N~= 7,622) who completed the Leave-Behind Questionnaire as part of the 2006 HRS assessment (mean age 67 years); participants (N~= 6,450) completed the same health measures again in~2010.

MEASUREMENTS: Participants rated their everyday experience with discrimination and attributed those experiences to eight personal characteristics: race, ancestry, sex, age, weight, physical disability, appearance, and sexual orientation. At both the 2006 and 2010 assessments, participants completed measures of physical health (subjective health, disease burden), emotional health (life satisfaction, loneliness), and cognitive health (memory, mental status).

RESULTS: Discrimination based on age, weight, physical disability, and appearance was associated with poor subjective health, greater disease burden, lower life satisfaction, and greater loneliness at both assessments and with declines in health across the four years. Discrimination based on race, ancestry, sex, and sexual orientation was associated with greater loneliness at both time points, but not with change over time. Discrimination was mostly unrelated to cognitive health.

CONCLUSIONS: The detrimental effect of discrimination on physical and emotional health is not limited to young adulthood but continues to contribute to health and well-being in old age. These effects were driven primarily by discrimination based on personal characteristics that change over time (e.g., age, weight) rather than discrimination based on more stable characteristics (e.g., race, sex).

}, keywords = {Aged, Cognition, Female, Health Status, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Mental Health, Prejudice, Social Perception}, issn = {1545-7214}, doi = {10.1016/j.jagp.2014.03.007}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Carretta, H. and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {8302, title = {Spouses and depressive symptoms in older adulthood.}, journal = {Sci Rep}, volume = {5}, year = {2015}, note = {Times Cited: 0 0}, month = {2015 Feb 26}, pages = {8594}, publisher = {5}, abstract = {

Depressive symptoms may co-occur within couples and follow similar trajectories, but relatively little is known about this process in old age. This study thus examined the association between some spousal characteristics (spouse{\textquoteright}s depressive symptoms, age difference between spouses) and the trajectory of depressive symptoms in older adults. Participants >= 65 years old were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 12,010; Mean age = 70.60 and 69.16 for target husbands and wives, respectively). Depressive symptoms were measured with a short form of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. Hierarchical Linear Modeling was used to model up to 9 assessments of depressive symptoms of target spouses (Mean number of CESD assessments per target spouse = 3, range 1-9). Depressive symptoms between spouses were correlated; convergence over time was modest. For both husbands and wives, having a younger spouse was associated with more depressive symptoms at age 65. These results suggest that there is concordance between spouses{\textquoteright} depressive symptoms and that the age difference between spouses contribute to depressive symptoms as couples enter old age. The association between spouses{\textquoteright} depressive symptoms is nearly as strong as the effect of each decade increase in age.

}, keywords = {Aged, depression, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Sex Distribution, Spouses}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/srep08594}, author = {Pradeep, Neeti and Angelina R Sutin} } @article {8190, title = {Weight Discrimination and Risk of Mortality.}, journal = {Psychol Sci}, volume = {26}, year = {2015}, note = {Times Cited: 0 0}, month = {2015 Nov}, pages = {1803-11}, publisher = {26}, abstract = {

Discrimination based on weight is a stressful social experience linked to declines in physical and mental health. We examined whether this harmful association extends to risk of mortality. Participants in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; N = 13,692) and the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS; N = 5,079) reported on perceived discriminatory experiences and attributed those experiences to a number of personal characteristics, including weight. Weight discrimination was associated with an increase in mortality risk of nearly 60\% in both HRS participants (hazard ratio = 1.57, 95\% confidence interval = [1.34, 1.84]) and MIDUS participants (hazard ratio = 1.59, 95\% confidence interval = [1.09, 2.31]). This increased risk was not accounted for by common physical and psychological risk factors. The association between mortality and weight discrimination was generally stronger than that between mortality and other attributions for discrimination. In addition to its association with poor health outcomes, weight discrimination may shorten life expectancy.

}, keywords = {Adult, Aged, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Middle Aged, Mortality, Overweight, Prejudice, Proportional Hazards Models, Social Discrimination, Stress, Psychological, Surveys and Questionnaires, United States}, issn = {1467-9280}, doi = {10.1177/0956797615601103}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {8324, title = {Younger subjective age is associated with lower C-reactive protein among older adults}, journal = {Brain, behavior, and immunity}, volume = {43}, year = {2015}, note = {Times Cited: 0 0}, pages = {33-6}, publisher = {43}, abstract = {Subjective age, or how young or old individuals experience themselves to be, is related to a range of health-related outcomes in old age, including mortality risk. Little is known, however, about its association with markers of systemic inflammation. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the present study examined the relation between subjective age and C-reactive protein (CRP). Participants were 4120 older adults from the 2008 wave of the HRS who provided measures of subjective age, CRP, demographic variables, Body Mass Index (BMI), depression, smoking, physical activity and disease burden. Regression analyses revealed that a younger subjective age was related to lower CRP, controlling for demographic factors. This association was reduced by half but remained significant when health and behavioral covariates were adjusted for, suggesting that BMI, physical activity and disease burden may partially account for lower inflammation in individuals with a younger subjective age. Furthermore, a logistic regression revealed that feeling younger than one{\textquoteright}s age was associated with reduced risk of exceeding the clinical threshold of CRP, controlling for covariates. The present study provides the first evidence of an association between subjective age and systemic inflammation among older adults. It suggests that individuals{\textquoteright} ratings of their subjective age may help identify individuals at greater risk for immune dysfunction related to morbidity and mortality.}, keywords = {Expectations, Health Conditions and Status, Healthcare}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbi.2014.07.019}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {7971, title = {Five-factor model personality traits and inflammatory markers: new data and a meta-analysis.}, journal = {Psychoneuroendocrinology}, volume = {50}, year = {2014}, note = {Times Cited: 0 0}, month = {2014 Dec}, pages = {181-93}, publisher = {50}, abstract = {

The purpose of this research is to examine the association between five major dimensions of personality and systemic inflammation through (a) new data on C-reactive protein (CRP) from three large national samples of adults that together cover most of the adult lifespan and (b) a meta-analysis of published studies on CRP and interleukin-6 (IL-6). New data (total N=26,305) were drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the Midlife in the United States study, and the Health and Retirement Study. PRISMA guidelines were used for the meta-analysis to combine results of up to seven studies on CRP (N=34,067) and six on IL-6 (N=7538). Across the three new samples, higher conscientiousness was associated with lower CRP. The conscientiousness-CRP relation was virtually identical controlling for smoking; controlling for body mass index attenuated this association but did not eliminate it. Compared to participants in the highest quartile of conscientiousness, participants in the lowest quartile had an up to 50\% increased risk of CRP levels that exceeded the clinical threshold (>=3 mg/l). The meta-analysis supported the association between conscientiousness and both CRP and IL-6 and also suggested a negative association between openness and CRP; no associations were found for neuroticism, extraversion and agreeableness. The present work indicates a modest, but consistent, association between conscientiousness and a more favorable inflammatory profile, which may contribute to the role of conscientiousness in better health across the lifespan.

}, keywords = {Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Biomarkers, C-reactive protein, Female, Humans, Inflammation, Male, Middle Aged, Personality}, issn = {1873-3360}, doi = {10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.08.014}, author = {Martina Luchetti and James M Barkley and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano and Angelina R Sutin} } @article {8045, title = {Perceived Sex Discrimination Amplifies the Effect of Antagonism on Cigarette Smoking}, journal = {Nicotine and Tobacco Research}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Introduction: Compared to men, the decline in smoking over the past few decades has been slower for women and smoking-related morbidity and mortality has increased substantially. Identifying sex-specific risk factors will inform more targeted intervention/prevention efforts. The purpose of this research is to examine the interactive effect of psychological (trait antagonism) and social (perceived sex discrimination) factors on current cigarette smoking and whether these effects differ by sex. Methods: Participants in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study (HANDLS; N = 454) and participants in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; N = 8,155) completed measures of antagonism, perceived sex discrimination, and reported whether they smoked currently. Logistic regressions were used to predict smoking from antagonism, discrimination, and their interaction. Results: Antagonism was associated with an increased risk of smoking. For women, there was an interaction between antagonism and discrimination: among women who perceived sex discrimination, every standard deviation increase in antagonism was associated with a 2.5 increased risk of current smoking in HANDLS (odds ratio OR = 2.54, 95 CI = 1.46 4.39) and an almost 1.5 increased risk in HRS (OR = 1.43, 95 CI = 1.18 1.73). This interaction was not significant for men in either sample. Conclusion: In 2 independent samples, perceived sex discrimination amplified the effect of antagonism on cigarette smoking for women, but not men. A hostile disposition and a perceived hostile social environment have a synergistic effect on current cigarette smoking for women.}, keywords = {Health Conditions and Status, Risk Taking, Women and Minorities}, doi = {10.1093/ntr/ntt222}, url = {http://ntr.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/01/28/ntr.ntt222.abstract}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and English, Devin and Michele K Evans and Alan B Zonderman} } @article {8027, title = {Perceived weight discrimination and C-reactive protein}, journal = {Obesity}, volume = {22}, year = {2014}, pages = {1959-1961}, publisher = {22}, abstract = {Objective: Perceived weight discrimination has been linked to health outcomes, including risk of obesity. Less is known about how discrimination is associated with intermediate physiological markers of health, such as systemic inflammation. This research examined the association between weight discrimination and C-reactive protein (CRP) and whether it varied by participants{\textquoteright} body mass index (BMI). Methods: Cross-sectional design using data from the Health and Retirement Study. Among participants who were overweight or obese (N=7,394), regression analysis was used to test for an association between weight discrimination and CRP and whether this association was moderated by BMI. Similar associations among seven other attributions for discrimination were tested. Results: The association between weight discrimination and CRP varied as a function of BMI: At BMI between the thresholds for overweight and obesity (BMI 25-30), weight discrimination was associated with higher circulating levels of CRP; there was no association between weight discrimination and CRP as BMI approached Class 3 obesity (BMI 40). A similar pattern emerged for discrimination based on a physical disability, but not for the other attributions for discrimination (e.g., race, age). Conclusions: Weight discrimination is associated with higher circulating CRP, an association that is moderated by BMI. .}, keywords = {Health Conditions and Status, Methodology}, doi = {10.1002/oby.20789}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Martina Luchetti and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {8072, title = {Physical activity and personality development across adulthood and old age: Evidence from two longitudinal studies}, journal = {Journal of Research in Personality}, volume = {49}, year = {2014}, note = {Export Date: 29 January 2014 Source: Scopus}, pages = {1-7}, publisher = {49}, abstract = {Personality traits are associated with a number of health-related factors; less is known about how such factors contribute to adult personality development. Based on evidence for the protective role of physical activity for individual functioning, the present study tests whether physical activity contributes to personality stability and change. Using longitudinal data from the Midlife in the United States study (N= 3758) and the Health and Retirement Study (N= 3774), we found that more physically active individuals declined less on conscientiousness, extraversion, openness and agreeableness, and had higher rank-order stability and profile consistency over time. These findings suggest that physical activity may help preserve personality stability and prevent maladaptive personality changes across adulthood and old age. 2013 Elsevier Inc.}, keywords = {Event History/Life Cycle, Health Conditions and Status, Methodology}, url = {http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84891893126andpartnerID=40andmd5=e8bbe16791d8966632edd46360a3f5e6}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {7893, title = {Optimism, pessimism and bias in self-reported body weight among older adults}, journal = {Obesity}, volume = {21}, year = {2013}, pages = {E508-E511}, publisher = {21}, abstract = {Objective: Body mass index (BMI) and obesity (BMI 30) are often derived from self-reported weight and height; psychological dispositions may bias how participants report these physical characteristics. The present research used a large national sample of US adults to examine the correspondence between reported and measured body weight and height and to test whether optimists and pessimists misreport their weight/height in ways that are consistent with their worldviews. Methods: Participants in the Health and Retirement Study (N = 11,207) reported their weight and height and completed a measure of dispositional optimism and pessimism; trained interviewers measured participants weight and height. Results: There was a high correlation between measured and reported weight (r = 0.98) and height (r = 0.92). Consistent with their positive and negative worldviews, respectively, optimists under-reported and pessimists over-reported their weight. There was not a consistent association with misreported height. Optimism and pessimism were also associated with actual BMI and risk of obesity, but the protective/risk effects were amplified when using reported weight to derive BMI. Conclusions: These findings suggested that reported body weight tends to be accurate, but that biases associated with psychological dispositions may inflate the relation between the disposition and obesity. Such biases may extend to associations with other self-reported factors thought to be related to optimism and pessimism.}, keywords = {Health Conditions and Status, Healthcare, Other}, doi = {10.1002/oby.20447}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/oby.20447}, author = {Angelina R Sutin} } @article {7848, title = {Perceived Weight Discrimination and Obesity}, journal = {PLoS One}, volume = {8}, year = {2013}, publisher = {8}, abstract = {Weight discrimination is prevalent in American society. Although associated consistently with psychological and economic outcomes, less is known about whether weight discrimination is associated with longitudinal changes in obesity. The objectives of this research are (1) to test whether weight discrimination is associated with risk of becoming obese (Body Mass Index 30; BMI) by follow-up among those not obese at baseline, and (2) to test whether weight discrimination is associated with risk of remaining obese at follow-up among those already obese at baseline. Participants were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative longitudinal survey of community-dwelling US residents. A total of 6,157 participants (58.6 female) completed the discrimination measure and had weight and height available from the 2006 and 2010 assessments. Participants who experienced weight discrimination were approximately 2.5 times more likely to become obese by follow-up (OR = 2.54, 95 CI = 1.58-4.08) and participants who were obese at baseline were three times more likely to remain obese at follow up (OR = 3.20, 95 CI = 2.06-4.97) than those who had not experienced such discrimination. These effects held when controlling for demographic factors (age, sex, ethnicity, education) and when baseline BMI was included as a covariate. These effects were also specific to weight discrimination; other forms of discrimination (e.g., sex, race) were unrelated to risk of obesity at follow-up. The present research demonstrates that, in addition to poorer mental health outcomes, weight discrimination has implications for obesity. Rather than motivating individuals to lose weight, weight discrimination increases risk for obesity.}, keywords = {Demographics, Employment and Labor Force, Health Conditions and Status, Methodology, Other, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0070048 10.2105/ajph.2009.159491 10.1038/oby.2008.35 10.1177/002214650504600303 10.1111/j.1746-1561.2011.00646.x 10.1002/eat.20933 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2010.03.002 10.1038/oby.2010.234 10.1016/j.bodyim.2003.12.001 10.1016/j.jvb.2007.04.00}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Antonio Terracciano} }