TY - JOUR
T1 - Health-related behavior mediates the association between personality and memory performance in older adults
AU - Allen, Mark S.
AU - Laborde, Sylvain
AU - Walter, Emma E.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2017.
PY - 2017/3/17
Y1 - 2017/3/17
N2 - This prospective study explored the potential mediating role of health-related behavior (alcohol involvement, diet, television viewing, and physical activity) in the association between personality and change in memory performance over 2 years. A nationally representative sample of 8,376 U.K. participants aged 55 years and older (4,572 women, 3,804 men) completed self-report measures of personality and health-related behavior in 2010, and completed a memory performance task in 2010 and 2012. After removing variance associated with potential confounding variables, neuroticism and agreeableness had negative associations, and openness and conscientiousness positive associations with change in memory performance. There were no moderation effects by age, sex, education level, or ethnicity. Multiple mediator models demonstrated that physical activity, television viewing, and alcohol intake mediated associations between personality and change in memory performance. These findings provide evidence that the association between personality and memory performance in older adults can be explained, in part, through health-related behavior.
AB - This prospective study explored the potential mediating role of health-related behavior (alcohol involvement, diet, television viewing, and physical activity) in the association between personality and change in memory performance over 2 years. A nationally representative sample of 8,376 U.K. participants aged 55 years and older (4,572 women, 3,804 men) completed self-report measures of personality and health-related behavior in 2010, and completed a memory performance task in 2010 and 2012. After removing variance associated with potential confounding variables, neuroticism and agreeableness had negative associations, and openness and conscientiousness positive associations with change in memory performance. There were no moderation effects by age, sex, education level, or ethnicity. Multiple mediator models demonstrated that physical activity, television viewing, and alcohol intake mediated associations between personality and change in memory performance. These findings provide evidence that the association between personality and memory performance in older adults can be explained, in part, through health-related behavior.
KW - alcohol
KW - cognitive function
KW - diet
KW - physical activity
KW - sedentary behavior
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85059756722&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0733464817698816
DO - 10.1177/0733464817698816
M3 - Article
C2 - 28380727
AN - SCOPUS:85059756722
SN - 0733-4648
VL - 38
SP - 232
EP - 252
JO - Journal of Applied Gerontology
JF - Journal of Applied Gerontology
IS - 2
ER -