What role do personality traits play in cancer prevention?

Many people are still not taking advantage of the cancer screenings they are entitled to. NAKO researchers from the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) have now investigated the role played by personality traits. Among other things, they describe that more extroverted, more neurotic and conscientious people are more likely to take advantage of cancer screenings. Among other things, the results can contribute to a better understanding of non-participation in cancer screenings from a psychological perspective.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around one in three to two cases of cancer is preventable. Early detection examinations for cancer are covered by health insurance in many countries. Nevertheless, the participation rate in Germany is still relatively low. “The aim of our study was to use data from the German National Cohort (NAKO) to investigate the relationship between personality factors and the utilisation of various self-reported cancer screening examinations,” explains Professor Dr André Hajek, Institute of Health Economics and Health Services Research at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE).

In the current study, the researchers interviewed 132,298 participants in the population-based German National Cohort (NAKO) with an average age of 53 about which cancer screening examinations they had attended in the past five years and which personality traits they ascribed to themselves.

In the past, psychological personality research has defined a standardised model for describing personality characteristics. Five main characteristics can be differentiated:

  • Conscientiousness (tendency towards structure and planning),
  • Extraversion (tendency to be sociable and energetic),
  • Compatibility (tendency towards friendliness and compassion),
  • Neuroticism (tendency to nervousness and negative emotions) and
  • Openness to experience (tendency towards curiosity and inventiveness).

The cancer prevention activities covered in the survey included

  • the test for blood in stool samples and colonoscopy for colon cancer screening,
  • skin examination for moles as an early detection procedure for skin cancer,
  • breast palpation and X-ray examination of the breast (mammography) for the early detection of breast cancer,
  • the cervical smear test for the early detection of cervical cancer and
  • finger examination of the rectum and the prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test for the early detection of prostate cancer.

“The results of our analyses show that people with higher extraversion, i.e. sociable people, are more likely to go for cancer screening. We suspect that the higher level of positive emotions in this group of people reduces anxiety that may be associated with screening,” reports Prof Hajek. “It was surprising that people who describe themselves as generally curious and open to experiences visited screening centres less often. One speculative explanation is that people with a high openness to experience want to enjoy their lives to the full – for example by travelling – and therefore avoid screening tests in order not to jeopardise their life plans in the short term.”

The study provides initial indications of the role that psychological aspects can play when it comes to whether people decide in favour of or against a preventive medical check-up. The researchers recommend further in-depth scientific research in this area. This knowledge can help to adapt cancer screening programmes more specifically to groups of people with specific personality traits who have tended to avoid them up to now.

More information

Kontakt

Prof. Dr. André Hajek
Professur für Interdisziplinäre Versorgungsepidemiologie
Institut für Gesundheitsökonomie und Versorgungsforschung
Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)
Martinistr. 52
20246 Hamburg
Mail: a.hajek@uke.de
 
Originalpublikation
Hajek A, Becher H, Brenner H, Holleczek B, Katzke V, Kaaks R, et al. Personality and the use of cancer screenings – Results of the German National Cohort. Preventive Medicine Reports 2024; 41:102677. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38533391/

Weitere Informationen im Internet

Institut für Gesundheitsökonomie und Versorgungsforschung des UKE

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German National Cohort (NAKO)

The German National Cohort (NAKO Gesundheitsstudie) is the largest long-term population study in Germany. Since 2014, over 205,000 randomly selected people have been medically examined and asked about their lifestyle habits in 18 study centres. At the beginning of the study, the participants were aged between 20 and 69.

The German National Cohort (NAKO) is a prospective epidemiological cohort study. The researchers observe a large group, a so-called cohort, of healthy, ill or formerly ill people over a long period of time. The aim is to use scientific analyses of the participants’ data to investigate the frequency and causes of common diseases such as cancer, diabetes or cardiovascular diseases, to identify risk factors and to show ways of effective prevention and early detection.

The research project is supported by 26 organisations. Scientists from universities, the Helmholtz Association, the Leibniz Association and other research institutes in Germany are working together in a nationwide network. The study is being carried out by the NAKO e.V. association. It is financed by public funds from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the Helmholtz Association and the participating federal states.