The Link Between Organisation, Activity & Longevity: A New study Reveals Nuance
A recent study involving over 22,000 adults, tracked across four major studies for periods ranging from six to 28 years, has highlighted a meaningful connection between specific personality traits and lifespan. Researchers found that individuals who described themselves as “organised“ and “active” were demonstrably less likely to die during the study period, exhibiting a 21% lower risk of mortality even after accounting for factors like age, gender, and pre-existing medical conditions.
This research,led by researchers at the University of Tartu and the University of Limerick,moves beyond broad personality categorizations. Traditionally, personality is often summarized using five main traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Though, this study demonstrates that specific facets within those broader traits hold greater predictive power regarding longevity.
The findings suggest it’s not simply being conscientious, but how someone is conscientious – specifically, being organised and thorough – that matters. Similarly, the benefit isn’t just being extroverted, but embodying that trait through being lively and active.These nuanced differences, according to researchers, carry more weight than the overarching personality categories.
Researchers noted that individuals scoring high on traits associated with neuroticism – including moodiness,anxiety,and a tendency to be easily upset – showed a corresponding increase in mortality risk. However,the study authors were careful to emphasize that personality is not destiny. The research doesn’t suggest a predetermined lifespan based on personality; rather, it indicates personality can play a supporting role in overall health.
The study also acknowledged that lifestyle and clinical factors like smoking, BMI, physical activity, and chronic illness contribute to lifespan, but don’t fully explain the observed link between personality and longevity. Being organised, for example, may facilitate adherence to healthy routines, but could also reflect underlying psychological resilience and positive social habits.
Experts in the field, like Dr. Ross Stewart of the University of Chester, have praised the study’s unprecedented focus on specific personality traits. Researchers suggest that incorporating personality screening into routine health assessments could help identify individuals at risk due to behavioural patterns that might hinder long-term health management – as an example, someone who doesn’t identify as “organised” possibly struggling with medication adherence, or someone who doesn’t feel “active” needing additional support to increase physical activity.
