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Review
. 2023 Dec 18;15(12):e50714.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.50714. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Association of Personality Traits and Self-Care Behaviors in People With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Konstantina Dimou  1 , Elena Dragioti  1 , Georgios Tsitsas  2 , Stefanos Mantzoukas  1 , Mary Gouva  1
Affiliations
Review

Association of Personality Traits and Self-Care Behaviors in People With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Konstantina Dimou et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Diabetes self-care is critical for individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and exploring the impact of personality traits on this domain remains pivotal. This study aimed to investigate the association between personality traits and various dimensions of self-care in people with T2DM. A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA)-guided systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted. Two reviewers independently screened articles, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias. Estimates were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. Twenty-three studies, that met our inclusion criteria, revealed distinct associations between certain personality traits and various aspects of self-care. Notably, traits such as openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness showed associations with improved foot care compliance (odds ratio (OR) = 2.53, 95% CI = 1.49-4.28; OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.10-3.08; and OR = 2.07, 95% CI = 1.23-3.48, respectively). Openness was also linked to better overall self-care behaviors (OR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.17-3.41), while conscientiousness correlated with reduced smoking (OR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.93-0.99), and agreeableness was associated with improved medication adherence (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.34-2.31). Conversely, traits like extraversion and neuroticism showed associations with decreased medication adherence (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.61-0.96 and OR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.40-0.65, respectively), with neuroticism additionally linked to lower overall self-care behaviors (OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.55-0.81). This study emphasizes the intricate role of personality traits in shaping self-care practices in individuals with T2DM, underscoring the significance of factoring these traits into tailoring and improving diabetes self-care strategies. Nevertheless, establishing definitive causal relationships mandates further in-depth longitudinal investigations and broader meta-analyses to achieve a more conclusive understanding.

Keywords: personality; personality traits; self-care; self-management; type 2 diabetes mellitus.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Study selection flowchart
Figure 2
Figure 2. Openness and self-care activities in people with type 2 diabetes
Mendoza-Catalán, 2022 [12]; Esmaeilinasab, 2016 [15]; Abdullah, 2020 [37]; Phillips, 2016 [29]; Yasui-Furukori, 2020 [70]; Davies, 2010 [30]
Figure 3
Figure 3. Conscientiousness and self-care activities in people with type 2 diabetes
Skinner et al., 2014 [11]; Fisher et al., 2014 [31]; Mendoza-Catalán et al., 2022 [12]; Phillips and Guarnaccia, 2016 [29]; Lee and Li, 2021 [66]; Yasui-Furukori et al., 2020 [70]; Abdullah et al., 2020 [37]; Lane et al., 2000 [65]; Esmaeilinasab et al., 2016 [15]; Hazrati-Meimaneh et al., 2020 [63], Davies et al., 2010 [30]
Figure 4
Figure 4. Extraversion and self-care activities in people with type 2 diabetes
Mendoza-Catalán et al., 2022 [12]; Phillips and Guarnaccia, 2016 [29]; Esmaeilinasab et al., 2016 [15]; Abdullah et al., 2020 [37]; Yasui-Furukori et al., 2020 [70]; Hazrati-Meimaneh et al., 2020 [63]; Davies et al., 2010 [30]
Figure 5
Figure 5. Agreeableness and self-care activities in people with type 2 diabetes
Mendoza-Catalán et al., 2022 [12]; Lee and Li, 2021 [66]; Yasui-Furukori et al., 2020 [70]; Skinner et al., 2014 [11]; Abdullah et al., 2020 [37]; Phillips and Guarnaccia, 2016 [29]; Esmaeilinasab et al., 2016 [15]; Hazrati-Meimaneh et al., 2020 [63]; Davies et al., 2010 [30]
Figure 6
Figure 6. Neuroticism and self-care activities in people with type 2 diabetes
Mendoza-Catalán et al., 2022 [12]; Novak et al., 2017 [68]; Yasui-Furukori et al., 2020 [70]; Phillips and Guarnaccia, 2016 [29]; Esmaeilinasab et al., 2016 [15]; Lee and Li, 2021 [66]; Williams et al., 2002 [40]; Abdullah et al., 2020 [37]; Lane et al., 2000 [65]; Hazrati-Meimaneh et al., 2020 [63]; Davies et al., 2010 [30]
Figure 7
Figure 7. Type D personality and self-care activities in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Shao et al., 2017 [7]; Lin et al., 2020 [39]; Li et al., 2017 [67]; Li et al., 2016 [13]; Milicevic et al., 2015 [36]
Figure 8
Figure 8. Other personality traits and glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Lane et al., 2000 [65]; Wainwright et al., 2022 [69]; Dadras et al., 2022 [62]; Brody et al., 2008 [60]; Kato et al., 2017 [64], Cox et al., 1984 [61]
Figure 9
Figure 9. Other personality traits and medication adherence in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Wainwright et al., 2022 [69]; Dadras et al., 2022 [62]; Cox et al., 1984 [61]
Figure 10
Figure 10. Other personality traits and physical activity in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Wainwright et al., 2022 [69]; Dadras et al., 2022 [62]
Figure 11
Figure 11. Other personality traits and diet in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Wainwright et al., 2022 [69]; Dadras et al., 2022 [62]
Figure 12
Figure 12. Other personality traits and foot care in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Dadras et al., 2022 [62]
Figure 13
Figure 13. Other personality traits and self-care behavior in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Cox et al., 1984 [61]
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