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The role of personality in health care use: Results of a population-based longitudinal study in Germany

Author

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  • André Hajek
  • Jens-Oliver Bock
  • Hans-Helmut König

Abstract

Objective: To determine the role of personality in health care use longitudinally. Methods: Data were derived from the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP), a nationally representative, longitudinal cohort study of German households starting in 1984. Concentrating on the role of personality, we used data from the years 2005, 2009 and 2013. Personality was measured by using the GSOEP Big Five Inventory (BFI-S). Number of physician visits in the last 3 months and hospital stays in the last year were used as measures of health care use. Results: Adjusting for predisposing factors, enabling resources, and need factors, fixed effects regressions revealed that physician visits increased with increasing neuroticism, whereas extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness did not affect physician visits in a significant way. The effect of self-rated health on physician visits was significantly moderated by neuroticism. Moreover, fixed effects regressions revealed that the probability of hospitalization in the past year increased with increasing extraversion, whereas the other personality factors did not affect this outcome measure significantly. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that changes in neuroticism are associated with changes in physician visits and that changes in extraversion are associated with the probability of hospitalization. Since recent studies have shown that treatments can modify personality traits, developing interventional strategies should take into account personality factors. For example, efforts to intervene in changing neuroticism might have beneficial effects for the healthcare system.

Suggested Citation

  • André Hajek & Jens-Oliver Bock & Hans-Helmut König, 2017. "The role of personality in health care use: Results of a population-based longitudinal study in Germany," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(7), pages 1-15, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0181716
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181716
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Jule Specht & Boris Egloff & Stefan C. Schmukle, 2011. "Stability and Change of Personality across the Life Course: The Impact of Age and Major Life Events on Mean-Level and Rank-Order Stability of the Big Five," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 377, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
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    1. Moritz Hadwiger & Hans-Helmut König & André Hajek, 2019. "Determinants of Frequent Attendance of Outpatient Physicians: A Longitudinal Analysis Using the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-10, May.
    2. repec:plo:pone00:0244655 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. André Hajek & Hans-Helmut König, 2020. "The Association of Post-Materialism with Health Care Use. Findings of a General Population Survey in Germany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-11, November.
    4. André Hajek & Hans-Helmut König, 2018. "Informal caregiving and personality: Results of a population-based longitudinal study in Germany," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(9), pages 1-11, September.
    5. André Hajek & Freia De Bock & Lothar H. Wieler & Philipp Sprengholz & Benedikt Kretzler & Hans-Helmut König, 2020. "Perceptions of Health Care Use in Germany during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-13, December.

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