The Role of Negative Affectivity in Self assessment of Health

Abstract

The relationship between negative affectivity (NA, i.e. the Neuroticism trait and transient distress), self-reported medical condition and somatic complaints was assessed in structural equation models also including personality (the Big Five personality domains), socio-demographic, and health behaviour variables. The results indicated that the individual's current distress level and medical condition were by far the strongest predictors of somatic complaints. Compared to the other Big Five domains, Neuroticism was clearly the most important variable in all the models tested; it evidenced substantial direct effects on both distress level and medical condition, and a significant indirect effect on somatic complaints. On the whole, the effects of the sociodemographic and health behaviour variables were of only marginal importance as compared to NA.