Personality traits affect individual interests in day service activities

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Adult day centers provide crucial social and recreational opportunities for the elderly.
• Understanding user preferences is key to effective program design.
• Personality traits can influence engagement and satisfaction with activities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between personality traits and interest in various activities among adult day center users.
• To inform the development of tailored activity programs for older adults.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted with 477 older adults (133 men, 344 women) at 25 day centers in Tokyo.
• Participants completed a questionnaire on demographics, lifestyle, activity preferences, and personality using the BASIC-3 Personality Inventory (PI)-short version.
• Statistical analysis assessed associations between personality facets (sociability, novelty-seeking, neuroticism) and requested activities.

Main Results:

• Higher scores in sociability and novelty-seeking were linked to requests for more activities.
• Sociability correlated with interest in walking and interacting with children.
• Novelty-seeking correlated with interest in animals and the internet; music and singing were linked to both.
• Neuroticism showed no significant association with specific activities.
• Women preferred flower arrangement, handicrafts, fashion, cooking, and singing; men preferred shogi or mahjong.

Conclusions:

• Sociability, novelty-seeking, sex, and age are significant factors in older adults' activity interests.
• Adult day centers should implement systems for comprehensive assessment by nurses and caregivers.
• Personalized activity programs based on individual needs and personality are recommended.