1. The Impact of Personality Traits on Health Status of Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Primary and Secondary Care in the Netherlands
H.J. Alma, MSc; C. de Jong, PhD; D.M. Joustra, BSc; J.W.H. Kocks, MD, PhD; Prof. T. Van der Molen, MD, PhD
Presented by Harma Alma, MD-PhD Student
IPCRG 27th of May 2016

2. Statement
I have no conflict of interest to declare

3. Background (1) COPD is the 3rd leading cause of death
Health status is an important goal in its management
Various factors may influence health status scores
Particular personality traits might be associated
Definition personality:
“the characteristics of a person that account for consistent
patterns of feeling, thinking and behavior”
Dubayova, 2009; GOLD, 2016; Lozano, 2012; Pervin, 2005; Samartzis, 2014; Sanderman, 2012

4. Background (2) Personality traits:
Neuroticism: frustrations, worries, anxiety
Extraversion: affinity to be talkative, optimistic,
outgoing, energetic
Psychoticism: aggressiveness, impulsiveness,
egocentrism, being manipulative
Evidence found in research for other diseases
e.g. Parkinson, CHF, Cancer, MS
Recently COPD Assessment Test (CAT) was related to personality and mental symptoms
Aim: To investigate the relation of personality traits with health status of patients with COPD
Aarstad, 2011; Beisland, 2013; Dubayova, 2009; Eysenck, 1994; Samartzis, 2014; Topp, 2016; Zarbo, 2015

5. Methods
Ongoing longitudinal study: COPD patients in primary and secondary care (NL)
Inclusion criteria: ≥40 years with diagnosis COPD GOLD I-IV
Exclusion criteria:
asthma overlap and/or other respiratory co-morbidities
alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency
inability to read Dutch questionnaires
Recruited September 2015-January 2016
Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ), COPD Assessment Test (CAT), St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), Spirometry
Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-RSS)
48 Yes/No items
Traits Neuroticism, Psychoticism, Extraversion – score 0-12
Jones, 1991; Jones, 2009; Sanderman, 2012;
Van der Molen 2003

6. Patients (N=175) Table 1: Baseline characteristics Age (years) 47-84
Age (years)
47-84
Gender (% male) 60
GOLD I (%) 17
GOLD II (%) 37
GOLD III (%) 33
GOLD IV (%) 13
Smoking pack years 38
CCQ (mean±SD)
2.16 ± 1.04
CAT (mean±SD)
18.29 ± 7.12
SGRQ (mean±SD)
43.71 ± 19.45

7. Relevant correlations
TABLE 2
Psychoticism
Extraversion
Neuroticism
CCQ total
-0.05
-0.19*
+0.37*
CCQ symptoms
-0.06
-0.15*
+0.18*
CCQ functional status
-0.03
+0.35*
CCQ mental
-0.12
+0.50*
CAT
-0.21*
+0.36*
SGRQ total
-0.04
-0.23*
+0.40*
SGRQ symptoms
-0.07
-0.18*
+0.26*
SGRQ activities
+0.27*
SGRQ impact
-0.02
+0.45*

8. Conclusions
Weak to moderate correlations between neuroticism and CCQ, CAT and SGRQ (mental/impact domains)
Higher neuroticism scores  worse health status scores
Significant, but weak negative correlations between extraversion and CCQ, CAT and SGRQ
No significant correlations for psychoticism
Certain personality traits seem to have weak to moderate relation with health status scores of patients with COPD
Take individual personality (neuroticism) into account during COPD management

9. Questions?
Thank you for your attention!

10. References
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