Personality and sedentary behavior: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE

Too much sitting is associated with an increased risk of chronic disease and premature death. This investigation aimed to systematically review the evidence for personality as a correlate of time spent in sedentary pursuits.

METHOD

Electronic databases (PubMed; Science Direct; PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, and SPORTDiscus via EBSCO; Web of Science; MEDLINE via Ovid; Scopus; ProQuest) were searched in December 2015 for studies reporting an association between at least 1 personality trait and time spent in at least 1 sedentary behavior. Pooled mean effect sizes were computed using inverse-variance weighted random effects meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Twenty-six studies (28 samples, 110 effect sizes) met inclusion criteria. Higher levels of sedentary behavior were associated with higher levels of neuroticism (r+ = .08, 95% confidence interval [CI: .05, .10]) and lower levels of conscientiousness (r+ = -.08, 95% CI [-.11, -.06]). Nonsignificant associations were observed for extraversion (r+ = .00, 95% CI [-.07, .06]), openness (r+ = -.02, 95% CI [-.05, .02]), and agreeableness (r+ = -.04, 95% CI [-.09, .00]). Effects for neuroticism and extraversion were moderated by measurement of sedentary behavior, and effects for openness and agreeableness were moderated by participant age and gender.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings appear consistent with personality trait associations with other health-related behaviors. More objective measures of sedentary behavior are required to make more definitive conclusions about the contribution of personality to a sedentary lifestyle. (PsycINFO Database Record