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Personality and sedentary behavior: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Mark S Allen1, Emma E Walter1, Máirtín S McDermott2
1School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences.
Summary
Higher neuroticism and lower conscientiousness correlate with increased sedentary behavior. This systematic review highlights personality
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Science
- Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Prolonged sedentary behavior is linked to chronic disease and mortality.
- Understanding factors influencing sedentary time is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review evidence linking personality traits to sedentary behavior.
- To identify specific personality correlates of prolonged sitting.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple electronic databases.
- Twenty-six studies comprising 28 samples and 110 effect sizes were included.
- Meta-analysis was used to compute pooled mean effect sizes for personality trait associations.
Main Results:
- Higher levels of sedentary behavior were significantly associated with increased neuroticism (r+ = .08) and decreased conscientiousness (r+ = -.08).
- No significant associations were found for extraversion, openness, or agreeableness.
- Moderating effects of measurement type, participant age, and gender were observed for certain traits.
Conclusions:
- Personality traits, particularly neuroticism and conscientiousness, show modest associations with sedentary behavior.
- Further research using objective measures of sedentary behavior is needed to confirm these findings.
- Personality may play a role in sedentary lifestyle patterns, warranting further investigation.
