The five-factor model of personality and physical inactivity: A meta-analysis of 16 samples

Highlights

• Personality traits are associated with increased risk of physical inactivity.

• Higher Neuroticism and lower Conscientiousness are also associated with more sedentary behavior.

• The associations are generally similar across age and gender.

Abstract

A sedentary lifestyle is harmful for health; personality traits may contribute to physical (in)activity. With participant-level data from 16 samples (N > 125,000), we examined the personality correlates of physical inactivity, frequency of physical activity, and sedentary behavior (in a subset of samples). Lower Neuroticism and higher Conscientiousness were associated with more physical activity and less inactivity and sedentary behavior. Extraversion and Openness were also associated with more physical activity and less inactivity, but these traits were mostly unrelated to specific sedentary behaviors (e.g., TV watching). The results generally did not vary by age or sex. The findings support the notion that the interest, motivational, emotional, and interpersonal processes assessed by five-factor model traits partly shape the individual’s engagement in physical activity.

Introduction

The World Health Organization (WHO, 2015) estimates that approximately 31% of the world’s population is physically inactive. Physical inactivity, defined as insufficient physical activity or minimal body movements, is the pole of the activity spectrum most detrimental to health (Dietz, 1996, Must and Tybor, 2005, Schmid et al., 2015). Those who are classified as insufficiently active fail to reach the recommended 150 min of moderate intensity (or 75 min of vigorous intensity) activity per week. This includes activity accumulated during leisure or work time, active transportation, household chores, sport, play, or regular exercise (WHO, 2010). Such inactivity is associated with increased risk for obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, breast and colon cancers, and mortality (Healy et al., 2008, Hu et al., 2003, Jakes et al., 2003, Lee et al., 2012). The distinction between frequency of physical activity and the relative absence of physical movements reflects evidence that level of physical activity and time spent inactive are independent predictors of health outcomes (Biswas et al., 2015, Dietz, 1996, Schmid et al., 2015). For example, even among individuals who engage in some physical activity also engaging in activities that are more sedentary, such as time spent sitting or watching television, doubles the risk for cardiovascular mortality and increases risk for all-cause mortality by 50% (Matthews et al., 2012). Many factors contribute to an inactive lifestyle, including psychological, as well as contextual factors (Bauman et al., 2012). A better understanding of the psychological correlates of physical inactivity will inform more effective prevention and intervention programs to increase physical activity.

Among the factors associated with lifestyle behaviors, an individual’s characteristic ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving are associated consistently with greater frequency of physical activity (Rhodes and Smith, 2006, Wilson and Dishman, 2015). Several of the traits that define the Five Factor Model of personality (McCrae & Costa, 2008) are routinely implicated in engaging in more physical activity. Individuals who are high in Neuroticism (the tendency to experience negative emotions and stress) tend to avoid physical activity, whereas individuals who are high in Extraversion (the tendency to experience positive emotions and be outgoing) and Conscientiousness (the tendency to be organized and disciplined) tend to engage in more physical activity (Rhodes & Smith, 2006). Trait Openness (the tendency to be open-minded and creative) has recently also been associated with greater physical activity (Wilson & Dishman, 2015). In contrast to the other traits, Agreeableness (the tendency to be cooperative) tends to be unrelated to physical activity. Less is known, however, about the risk of physical inactivity and sedentary behavior associated with personality. That is, the personality correlates of physical inactivity may or may not mirror the correlates associated with physical activity.

To that end, we report a meta-analysis of 16 large-scale studies from the US, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, and Japan, totaling more than 125,000 participants. None of these samples were included in previous meta-analyses of personality and physical activity. Many large-scale national panel and cohort studies now include brief measures of both personality and physical activity. We address whether it is possible to detect a signal between personality and physical inactivity even with such rudimentary measures. We address the relation between personality and physical (in)activity in three ways. First, we focus on lack of physical activity because of the high worldwide prevalence of inactivity (Hallal et al., 2012). In addition, this group tends to be at the greatest risk for poor health outcomes and has the most to gain by incorporating even light physical activity into their daily routines (Lee et al., 2012, Powell et al., 2011). Second, as a point of comparison, we examine the association between personality and amount of physical activity typically engaged in. Third, in a subset of five of the 16 studies, we examine how personality traits are associated with measures of sedentary behavior (e.g., amount of time spent sitting). Across all analyses, we test whether these associations are moderated by sex or age.