Positive attitude towards life and emotional expression as personality phenotypes for centenarians

Centenarians have been reported to share particular personality traits including low neuroticism and high extraversion and conscientiousness. Since these traits have moderate to high heritability and are associated with various health outcomes, personality appears linked to bio-genetic mechanisms which may contribute to exceptional longevity. Therefore, the present study sought to detect genetically-based personality phenotypes in a genetically homogeneous sample of centenarians through developing and examining psychometric properties of a brief measure of the personality of centenarians, the Personality Outlook Profile Scale (POPS). The results generated two personality characteristics/domains, Positive Attitude Towards Life (PATL: optimism, easygoing, laughter, and introversion/outgoing) and Emotional Expression (EE: expressing emotions openly and not bottling up emotions). These domains demonstrated acceptable concurrent validity with two established personality measures, the NEO-Five Factor Inventory and Life Orientation Test-Revised. Additionally, centenarians in both groups had lower neuroticism and higher conscientiousness than the US adult population. Findings suggest that the POPS is a psychometrically sound measure of personality in centenarians and capture personality aspects of extraversion, neuroticism, and conscientiousness, as well as dispositional optimism which may contribute to successful aging.     

Limitations to exercise in female centenarians: evidence that muscular efficiency tempers the impact of failing lungs

Centenarians are an outstanding model of successful aging, with genetics and healthy lifestyle certainly being key factors responsible for their longevity. Exercise capacity has been identified to play an important role in healthy aging, but a comprehensive assessment of the limitations to maximal exercise in this population is lacking. Following, health histories, lung function, and anthropometric measures, eight female centenarians (98–102 years old) and eight young females (18–22 years old) performed a series of graded maximal exercise tests on a cycle ergometer that facilitated absolute and relative work rate comparisons. Centenarians revealed a dramatically attenuated lung function, as measured by spirometry (forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV₁/forced vital capacity (FVC), 55?±?10%) compared to the young (FEV₁/FVC, 77?±?5%). During exercise, although the centenarians relied heavily on respiratory rate which yielded ～50% higher dead space/tidal volume, minute ventilation was similar to that of the young at all but maximal exercise, and alveolar PO₂ was maintained in both groups. In contrast, peak WR and VO₂ were significantly reduced in the centenarians (33?±?4 vs 179?±?24 W; 7.5?±?1.2 vs 39.6?±?3.5 ml min^?1 kg^?1). Arterial PO₂ of the centenarians fell steadily from the normal range of both groups to yield a large A-a gradient (57?±?6 mmHg). Metabolic cost of a given absolute work rate was consistently lower, ～46% less than the young at maximal effort. Centenarians have significant limitations to gas exchange across the lungs during exercise, but this limited oxygen transport is tempered by improved skeletal muscle mechanical efficiency that may play a vital role in maintaining physical function and therefore longevity in this population.     

Self-discipline and self-consciousness predict subjective memory in older adults

Research has shown the personality variables of conscientiousness and neuroticism to be related to subjective memory in older adults. This study was designed to determine the specific facets of these traits involved in the relation between personality and memory complaints. Subjective memory evaluations were examined in 85 community-dwelling people aged 56 to 94 years. Regression analysis revealed that one facet of conscientiousness (self-discipline) and two facets of neuroticism (self-consciousness and anxiety) explained almost one third of the variance in subjective memory complaints. Anxiety acted as a suppressor variable to enhance the contribution of self-consciousness. Objective measures of episodic and prospective memory were not related to subjective memory. Effective treatments of memory complaints in healthy older adults may have to focus on enhancing self-discipline and self-concept.     

Personality and longevity: findings from the Georgia Centenarian Study

Centenarians are thought of as unique and exceptional survivors. This study evaluated specific personality traits and configurations of traits among participants of the Georgia Centenarian Study. Two hundred and eighty five centenarians and their nominated proxies participated in this study. Self ratings and proxy informant ratings were obtained for different traits and facets of the Big-5 personality typology. Results suggested that centenarians overall had low levels of Neuroticism, but high levels of Extraversion, Competence, and Trust. When compared to centenarian self ratings, proxies provided significantly higher ratings for Neuroticism, Hostility, and Vulnerability, but lower ratings for Competence and Trust. Among Centenarians, the personality configuration of low Neuroticism, high Competence, and high Extraversion traits is over-represented relative to chance. The results confirm that centenarians show several unique single traits, but that a special combination of traits (i.e., low levels of Neuroticism, high Competence, and high Extraversion) are also notable in this group of exceptional survivors. Additional authors include S.M. Jazwinski, R.C. Green, M. Gearing, W.R. Markesbery, J.L. Woodard, M.A. Johnson, J.S. Tenover, W.L. Rodgers, D.B. Hausman, C. Rott, and J. Arnold.     

Lower platelet count in healthy centenarians correlates with dispersion of the QT interval

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Centenarians display a lower incidence of vascular ischemic events. A high platelet count and increased QT dispersion (QTd) represents a risk factor for cardiovascular events. The aim of this study was to evaluate platelet count and QTd in healthy centenarians and to establish correlations between these two indices. METHODS: 16 healthy centenarians (4 males, 12 females, range 100-105 years) living in a municipality of Eastern Sicily, and 40 healthy control subjects, divided into two groups: group A (N=20), age range 45-65 years, 7 males, 13 females; and group B (N=20), range 65-85 years, 6 males, 14 females, were examined. Platelets were counted using a blood analyzer and QTd was measured in standard 12-lead electrocardiograms. Differences in platelet count were assessed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Bonferroni test. Correlation coefficients between platelet count and QTd were calculated with the Spearman rank test. RESULTS: Centenarians showed a lower platelet count compared with controls, which was significant with respect to older controls, group B (p<0.05). QTd values did not significantly differ between centenarians and controls. A significant correlation between QTd and platelet count was evident in centenarians but not in controls. This correlation became evident in control subjects with a platelet count < or = 240,000/mm3. CONCLUSIONS: We hypothesize that a reduced number of platelets and the maintenance of normal QTd may contribute to extreme longevity and protect centenarians from cardiovascular events.     

The Japanese Centenarian Study: autonomy was associated with health practices as well as physical status

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of centenarians who have preserved activities of daily living (ADLs) and good cognitive and psychosocial status in Japan. DESIGN: Census-based survey. SETTING: Cross-Sectional Investigation of Half of All Japanese Centenarians Study, 2000. PARTICIPANTS: A nationwide census-based study was conducted of all of the male centenarians and a random sample of half of all the female centenarians who were included in the National Census of Japan. After excluding those who had died and whose addresses could not be identified, 1,907 centenarians (53.0%) participated in the present visitation interview survey. MEASUREMENTS: ADLs, cognitive status, and psychosocial status. Centenarians who have preserved ADLs and good cognitive and psychosocial status were defined as autonomous centenarians. RESULTS: Of the study subjects, 10.4% were judged to be autonomous centenarians. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that autonomy in centenarians was associated with better visual acuity, getting regular exercise, spontaneous awakening regularly in the morning, preserved masticatory ability, having no history of drinking, having no history of severe falls after the age of 95, more frequent intake of protein, living at home, and being male. It was also demonstrated that autonomous centenarians were not associated with appetite, vegetable or seaweed intake, smoking habits, auditory capacity, body mass index, or present illness. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that health practices play an important role in preserving ADLs and good cognitive and psychosocial status after reaching the age of 100 and should be useful for establishing an educational program for the ever-increasing "super elderly" population in Japan.     

Electrocardiographic Abnormalities in Centenarians and Octogenarians: A Case‐Matched Study

Backround: Centenarians have been proposed as a model of successful aging but recent studies suggest a high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases. Some findings on their electrocardiograms (ECGs) are simply age‐related and others mirror underlying diseases. We aimed to identify ECG features truly associated with extreme age. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 55 centenarians hospitalized between January 2000 and June 2010. Each centenarian was matched with three octogenarians according to gender, presence of hypertension, aortic stenosis, heart failure, and ischemic heart disease. Results: A history of hypertension was present in 32 (58%) centenarians, aortic stenosis in 6 (11%), heart failure in 8 (15%), and ischemic heart disease in 6 (11%). Centenarians had a higher heart rate than octogenarians (81 ± 15 bpm vs. 72 ± 15 bpm, respectively, P < 0.001) but were less frequently on beta‐blockers (7% vs. 36%, respectively, P < 0.001). Centenarians displayed more frequently atrial premature beats than octogenarians (18% vs. 3%, respectively, P < 0.001) but tended to have less atrial fibrillation (15% vs. 22% respectively, P = 0.21). Centenarians had more frequently left QRS axis deviation (48% vs. 28%, P = 0.009) and Q waves (14% vs. 1%, P = 0.02). QT interval was more prolonged in centenarians (446 ± 42 ms vs. 429 ± 39 ms, P = 0.008). Two centenarians (4%) and 24 (15%) octogenarians had a strictly normal ECG (P = 0.02). Conclusions: Abnormal ECG is a common finding in centenarians, with different characteristics than in younger elderly individuals. These differences are unrelated to the presence of cardiac diseases.     

Personality Traits of Centenarians' Offspring

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the offspring of centenarians have personality characteristics that are distinct from the general population.
DESIGN: Case-control.
SETTING: Nationwide U.S. sample.
PARTICIPANTS: Unrelated offspring of centenarians (n=246, mean age 75) were compared with published norms.
MEASUREMENTS: Using the NEO-Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) questionnaire, measures of the personality traits neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were obtained. T-scores and percentiles were calculated according to sex and used to interpret the results.
RESULTS: Male and female offspring of centenarians scored in the low range of published norms for neuroticism and in the high range for extraversion. The women also scored comparatively high in agreeableness. Otherwise, both sexes scored within normal range for conscientiousness and openness, and the men scored within normal range for agreeableness.
CONCLUSION: Specific personality traits may be important to the relative successful aging demonstrated by the offspring of centenarians. Similarities across four of the five domains between male and female offspring is noteworthy and may relate to their successful aging. Measures of personality are an important phenotype to include in studies that assess genetic and environmental influences of longevity and successful aging.     

The Efficacy of a Computer-Assisted Cognitive Rehabilitation Program for Patients with Mild Cognitive Deficits: A Pilot Study

Background/Study Context: Whereas computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation (CR) programs show promise as tools for improving cognition in certain populations, there is not a consensus regarding their efficacy. This study focuses on restorative CR, a treatment designed to improve cognitive functioning affected by progressive brain changes due to disease or aging, through computer-assisted cognitive exercises. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a computer-assisted restorative CR intervention for improving cognitive functioning in older rehabilitation patients with relatively mild cognitive deficits.

Methods: Older adult residents in a Maryland retirement community (N = 43) who met inclusion criteria were assigned to either the CR treatment or the control group. Treatment group participants completed 3 weeks (nine sessions) of Memory Match, an online CR module designed to improve attention and visual memory, whereas the control group did not complete the CR program after the baseline assessment. Analyses were based on the 38 (n = 20 treatment, n = 18 control) participants (mean age = 78.08 ± 10.31) who completed the post-assessment Brief Cognitive Assessment Tool (BCAT) and a self-rating inventory (SRI) of cognitive ability.

Results: Treatment group participants who received the CR treatment obtained significantly higher BCAT scores (medium to large effect size) at post-assessment than control group participants over the same period. Additional evidence for the efficacy of the CR program was found by comparing responses on a SRI of cognitive ability between the two groups.

Conclusion: The authors discuss the merits and shortcoming of this pilot study, the utility of the CR program for older rehabilitation patients with relatively mild cognitive deficits, and ideas for future research.     

Comprehensive health status assessment of centenarians: results from the 1999 large health survey of veteran enrollees

BACKGROUND: Information on the health status of centenarians provides a means for understanding the health care needs of this growing population. Therefore, we examined the health status of a national cohort of centenarian veteran enrollees. METHODS: Ninety-three centenarian veteran enrollees returned a complete health history questionnaire, which included questions about sociodemographic information, age-associated conditions, health behaviors, health-related quality of life as measured by the Veterans SF-36, and change in health status. RESULTS: Centenarian veteran enrollees are a group with major impairment across multiple dimensions of health-related quality of life despite having a relatively low prevalence of diseases. They had considerable physical limitations as reflected by their physical health summary scores (26.2 +/- 8.3). However, their mental health was comparatively good (mental health summary score 44.1 +/- 12.5). Compared to younger elderly veterans (ages 85-99), centenarians had a lower prevalence of hypertension, angina or myocardial infarction, diabetes, and chronic low back pain (p <.05). Centenarians had significantly worse physical functioning, role physical, vitality, and social functioning scores than did younger elderly veterans. The two groups did not differ in their general health, bodily pain, role emotional, and mental health scores. Centenarians did not perceive much decline in their physical or mental health during the preceding year. CONCLUSIONS: Centenarian veteran enrollees are a group with a low number of age-associated diseases and good mental health despite substantial physical limitations. These results support future studies of services directed toward improvement of function as opposed to those focused solely on the treatment of diseases.     

Successful aging in centenarians: myths and reality

The term “successful aging” appeared in the first issue of “The Gerontologist” in 1961. During the successive years, this expression has changed its meaning. Nowadays, successful aging means “absence of diseases and disabilities, maintenance of high levels of physical and cognitive abilities, preservation of the social and productive activities”. It has become a common opinion that the centenarians may represent the prototypes of the successful aging. This motivated our work to study the clinical, psychical, and functional aspects in a centenarian group, verifying the real autonomy, instrumental capacities, and working abilities. Our study pool consisted of 602 centenarians, who were also subjects of then epidemiological studies of the Italian Multicenter Studies on Centenarians (IMUSCE). All subjects underwent a clinical-anamnestic evaluation, cognitive-functional tests by means of the mini mental state examination (MMSE), the independence index in activities of daily living (ADL), the instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scale. The centenarians were classified in three groups, according to the criteria elaborated previously by us, based on their psychophysical status and autonomy, as follows. Group A: centenarians in good health status; Group B: centenarians in an intermediate health status. Group C: centenarians in bad health status. Group A represented 20.0% of the total pool, Group B amounted to 33.4%, and the Group C was 46.6%. The centenarians of Group A presented normal ADL values, and 47.9% of them were autosufficient in all functions; 5.7% of them were independent in all IADL items. These data confirm that the centenarians of Group A are free of invalidating chronic diseases, are autonomous, maintain good physical and cognitive capacities, however, have not maintained any social or productive activities. Therefore, they cannot be considered as prototypes of successful aging.     

百岁老人抗氧化机能观察

29例百岁老人检测抗氧化机能三种酶、红细胞SOD、血清CAT、GSH以及LPO,26例百岁老人检测发硒。结果表明百岁老人LPO明显低于老年组,SOD与对照组相似,CAT低于对照组,GSH在正常范围内。百岁老人发硒和老年组、青壮年组亦无差异,LPO保持低水平状态可能是减少老年性疾病发生机理之一,SOD和LPO呈明显负相关(r=-0.4672),SOD和TNF呈明显正相关(r=0.6079),说明百岁老人具有较强的抗氧化机能来消除自由基,上述各因素可能是延缓衰老而致长寿的因素之一。     

Do personality characteristics predict longevity? Findings from the Tokyo Centenarian Study

To explore whether personality influences longevity we examined the personality characteristics of centenarians. We developed a new method that compares an actual personality test score for centenarians with a predicted test score for a 100-year-old, calculated from younger controls. The participants consisted of 70 cognitively intact Japanese centenarians aged 100–106 years and 1812 elderly people aged 60–84 years, all residents of Tokyo. The NEO five factor inventory (NEO-FFI) was used to assess the “big five” personality traits: neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. The results showed higher openness in both male and female centenarians, and higher conscientiousness and extraversion in female centenarians, as compared to controls. These results suggest that high scores in the specific personality traits conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness, are associated with longevity. We speculate that these personality traits contribute to longevity through health-related behavior, stress reduction, and adaptation to the challenging problems of the “oldest old”.     

Smoking and the Five-Factor Model of personality

AIMS: Investigating the association between personality traits and smoking status using a comprehensive model of personality, the Five-Factor Model (FFM). DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. Setting Baltimore, MD, USA. Participants Adult elderly Americans (n = 1638). MEASUREMENTS: A self-administered survey on cigarette smoking and the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R). FINDINGS: Current smokers scored higher than never smokers on neuroticism and lower on agreeableness and conscientiousness; former smokers scored intermediate on these higher-order dimensions. Neuroticism was related to smoking particularly among individuals with low conscientiousness, as indicated by an interaction effect between the two factors. There were no differences on extraversion and openness to experience. At the lower-order facet level, smokers were characterized by inability to resist cravings (high impulsiveness), search for stimulation (high excitement-seeking), lack of perseverance (low self-discipline) and lack of careful consideration of the consequences of their actions (low deliberation). CONCLUSIONS: At the higher-order factor level, this study replicates and extends previous studies using a comprehensive model of personality (FFM). The greater specificity provided by the facet-level analysis appears to explain some of the conflicting results in the literature, and the use of an older sample provides insight especially into the former smokers group. Personality research may lead to a deeper understanding of cigarette smoking and can potentially contribute to policies and programs of smoking prevention and cessation.     

The role of illness burden in theory of mind performance among older adults

Background/Study Context: Theory of Mind (ToM) reflects the ability to reason about mental states in order to understand and predict behavior. Research has identified links between increased pulse pressure, a measure of vascular health, and reduced cognitive ToM in older adults. However, the relationships between other vascular and nonvascular conditions and reduced ToM are unknown. We examined (1) illnesses as predictors of cognitive and affective ToM and (2) neurocognitive mediators of illness burden and ToM. Methods: We used hierarchical regression and mediation to investigate the effects of vascular illness burden (hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high pulse pressure) and nonvascular illness burden (osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and thyroid dysfunction) on cognitive and affective ToM in N = 86 community-dwelling older adults (59 females; 27 males, M age = 71.74 years). Results: Vascular illness burden emerged as a significant predictor of older adults’ cognitive ToM (R² = .43, p < .001), and this relationship was mediated by executive functioning. Nonvascular illness burden did not predict cognitive nor affective ToM in this sample. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the specific importance of considering vascular health as a risk factor for declines in ToM in later life. Further elucidation of the associations between health, neurocognition, and ToM will be valuable in developing effective interventions for older adults given the high prevalence of vascular illness in later life.     

Health and function assessments in two adjacent Danish birth cohorts of centenarians: Impact of design and methodology

Using the results from measures of functional ability, cognitive and physical performance from two adjacent birth cohorts of 100-year-old adults, we aimed to elucidate the possible impact of difference in participation rates, design, and interviewer mode. Participants were birth cohort members born in 1910 (DK-1910) and 1911-12 (DK-1911). Both surveys used the same assessment instruments, but the design was different, and data collection was carried out by trained survey agency interviewers in DK-1910 and trained nurses in DK-1911. Participation rate in DK-1911 (49.8 % (251/504)) was lower than in DK-1910 (66.9 % (273/408)) (p < 0.001). The proportion of interviews with the participant answering alone or mainly alone was significantly higher in DK-1911 (77 %) than in DK-1910 (56 %), and the proportion living in nursing home was significantly lower (44 vs. 54 %, respectively). Higher proportions of DK-1911 independently performed all activities of daily living (ADL) compared to DK-1910, but only significantly for toileting, bathing, and feeding (all p < 0.01). Mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score was higher in DK-1911 than in DK-1910 (23.5 vs. 21.0; p < 0.001). Handgrip strength, gait speed, and chair stand were almost similar. DK-1911 participants had significantly better one-year survival than DK-1911 non-participants and DK-1910 participants and non-participants (p = 0.001). These results suggest that lower participation rate entails selection towards healthier participants in terms of ADL and cognitive functioning. Caution is warranted when comparing studies of centenarians with different participation rates, design, and interviewer mode, and further studies of these methodological issues are required.     

Individual differences in the experience of burden in caring for relatives with dementia: role of personality and mastery

Objective: We explored individual differences in caregiver outcome according to the personality and behavioural style of the carer. Current models of caregiver burden fail to consider such factors. Methods: This cross‐sectional, exploratory study used carer variables of personality traits and mastery and patient variables of cognitive, functional and neurobehavioural status to predict scores on an established measure of burden in a sample of 51 people with dementia and their carers. Results: Hierarchical multiple regression showed a significant association between behavioural disturbance and neuroticism and burden, but not with mastery. Conclusions: The primary findings in this study are that models of caregiver outcome need to take an individual differences perspective in accounting for caregiver mental health risk factors: personality characteristics do play a part in the way caregivers manage this difficult role.     

Higher levels of neuroticism in older adults predict lower executive functioning across time: the mediating role of perceived stress

Neuroticism has been associated with individual differences across multiple cognitive functions. Yet, the literature on its specific association with executive functions (EF) in older adults is scarce, especially using longitudinal designs. To disentangle the specific influence of neuroticism on EF and on coarse cognitive functioning in old adulthood, respectively, we examined the relationship between neuroticism, the Trail Making Test (TMT) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in a 6-year longitudinal study using Bayesian analyses. Data of 768 older adults (M_age?=?73.51 years at Wave 1) were included in a cross-lagged analysis. Results showed no cross-sectional link between neuroticism and TMT performance at Wave 1 and no longitudinal link between neuroticism at Wave 1 and MMSE at Wave 2. However, neuroticism at Wave 1 predicted TMT performance at Wave 2, indicating that the more neurotic participants were, the lower they performed on the TMT six years later. Additional analyses showed that this relation was fully mediated by participants’ perceived stress. Our results suggest that the more neurotic older adults are the more stress they may perceive six years later, which in turn negatively relates to their EF. In sum, this study demonstrates that neuroticism may lead to lower EF in older age across six years. It further suggests older adults’ perceived stress as mediator, thereby providing novel insights into the mechanisms underlying this relation. Possible intervention approaches to counter these effects are discussed.

     

Characteristics of centenarians’ lifestyles and their contribution to life satisfaction: A case study conducted on Hainan Island

BackgroundCentenarians represent an intriguing model for healthy aging. They appear to have adapted well to their lives and are likely to be influenced by previous lifestyle habits, and their life satisfaction is influenced by mental and psychological health.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to explore centenarians’ lifestyles by sex and their potential contribution to life satisfaction.MethodIn order to examine the common characteristics of centenarians in Hainan and the potential differences between men and women, a cross-sectional survey was conducted with 223 cognitively-intact Chinese centenarians. We also explored the association between life satisfaction and other physical factors using binary logistic regression and principal component analysis.ResultsThe results provided supplementary evidence indicating that women tended to live longer than men. However, the difference in life satisfaction observed between the sexes was not obvious (p = 0.659). The proportion of physical factors between each sex showed a similar trend in distribution. Most centenarians’ lifestyles were similar, in that they followed a light diet and did not smoke or drink alcohol. Centenarians in better physical condition and with higher self-assessment, as well as those with “alcohol and tobacco habits,” were more satisfied with their life. Of the factors examined in the binary logistic regression, sleep satisfaction was the only factor significantly positively correlated with life satisfaction (p < .01).ConclusionThe research findings elucidated physiological and psychological health in centenarians and provided a model of healthy aging strategies for reference purposes.     

Does personality influence how people with asthma manage their condition?

Objective: Personality traits have been found to be associated with the management of chronic disease, however, there is limited research on these relationships with respect to asthma. Asthma management and asthma control are often suboptimal, representing a barrier to patients achieving good health outcomes. This explorative study aimed to investigate the relationship between correlates of asthma management and personality traits. Methods: Participants completed a postal survey comprising validated self-report questionnaires measuring personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experiences, agreeableness, conscientiousness), asthma medication adherence, asthma control and perceived control of asthma. Relationships between asthma management factors and personality traits were examined using correlations and regression procedures. Results: A total of 77 surveys were returned from 94 enrolled participants. Significant relationships were found between personality traits and (i) adherence to asthma medications, and (ii) perceived control of asthma. Participants who scored high on the conscientiousness dimension of personality demonstrated higher adherence to their asthma medications. Women who scored low on the agreeableness dimension of personality and high on the neuroticism dimension had significantly lower perceived confidence and ability to manage their asthma. No statistically significant associations were found between asthma control and personality traits. Conclusions: Three of the five personality traits were found to be related to asthma management. Future research into the role of personality traits and asthma management will assist in the appropriate tailoring of interventional strategies to optimize the health of patients with asthma.