The big five and utilization of the prostate cancer testing: evidence for the influence of neuroticism, extraversion and conscientiousness

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper was to determine the associations between Big Five personality traits and attendance at prostate cancer testing in Estonia. To accomplish this aim, 371 men aged 50-70 completed the short form of Big Five Personality test and a questionnaire on their attendance in prostate cancer testing and intention to attend in the future. Correlations and analysis of variance were conducted to estimate the associations between Big Five personality traits and attendace at prostate cancer testings. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the influence of personality traits on intentions to attend prostate cancer testing in the future. As hypothesized, neuroticism had a significant inverse association and extraversion and conscientiousness had a significant positive association with prostate cancer testing. The present study supports current theory and research that point to a link between personality and health behaviors and extends previous findings on cancer screening behaviors to prostate cancer testing. A better understanding of the association between personality and prostate cancer testing attendance could lead to the establishment of effective campaigns and community messages to promote prostate cancer screenings and motivate men to attend.