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Originalia

Persönlichkeit und Gesundheit

Eine Zwillingsstudie zur Betrachtung möglicher Mediatoren

Published Online:July 19, 2012https://doi.org/10.1026/0943-8149/a000071

Abstract

Zusammenfassung. Gesundheitsbewusstes Verhalten (wie z.B. Sport, Ernährung, Verzicht auf Tabakkonsum) leistet einen bedeutsamen Beitrag zu Gesundheit und Wohlbefinden. Trotz des gut dokumentierten Nutzens verhält sich ein Großteil der Bevölkerung in den westlichen Industrienationen weniger gesundheitsbewusst als dies vorteilhaft wäre. Warum aber unterscheiden sich Personen in Lebensstil und Gesundheitsverhalten? Welchen Einfluss hat Persönlichkeit auf Gesundheit und inwiefern wird dieser Zusammenhang durch Gesundheitsverhalten vermittelt? Im Rahmen der Zwillingsstudie zu Persönlichkeit und Wohlbefinden (TwinPaW; Twin Study on Personality and Well-being; Spinath & Wolf, 2006) wurden Persönlichkeit, Gesundheit und das Gesundheitsverhalten von 302 ein- und zweieiigen Zwillingspaaren mittels Fragebogenverfahren detailliert erfasst. Mithilfe von Mediatoranalysen sowie uni- und multivariaten verhaltensgenetischen Analysen wurden Annahmen aus zwei theoretischen Modellen, dem Health Behavior Modell und dem Constitutional Predisposition Modell geprüft. Beide Modelle erheben den Anspruch, Mechanismen, die dem Zusammenhang von Persönlichkeit und Gesundheit zugrundeliegen, zu erklären. In Übereinstimmung mit dem Health Behavior Modell zeigte sich, dass Gesundheitsverhalten in gewissem Ausmaß den Zusammenhang zwischen Persönlichkeit und Gesundheit vermittelt. Entgegen den Annahmen des Constitutional Predisposition Modells spielte in den verhaltensgenetischen Analysen genetische Kovarianz für den Zusammenhang von Persönlichkeit und Gesundheit keine Rolle.


Personality and health: A twin study to examine possible mediators

Abstract. It is well-known that health behavior (e.g., physical activity, eating habits, non-smoking) contributes to health and well-being. However, the majority of the population in western industrial nations does not employ the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Why do people differ in health behaviors? How does personality influence health and well-being and to what extent is this relation mediated by health behaviors? The German Twin Study on Personality and Well-Being (TwinPaW; Spinath & Wolf, 2006) assessed personality, health, and health behaviors. Relevant for the present study were self-reports from 302 mono- and dizygotic twin pairs. Mediator analyses as well as uni- and multivariate behavior genetic analyses tested assumptions from two theoretical models, the health behavior model and the constitutional predisposition model. Both models claim to explain the basic mechanisms of the relation between personality and health. In accordance with the health behavior model our analyses showed that health behaviors mediate the relation between personality and health to a certain degree. Contrary to assumptions of the constitutional predisposition model, genetic influences did not mediate the relation between personality and health.

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