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. 2016:2016:3650927.
doi: 10.1155/2016/3650927. Epub 2016 Sep 6.

Personality Traits in College Students and Caregiving for a Relative with a Chronic Health Condition

Michael A Trujillo  1 , Paul B Perrin  1 , Aaliah Elnasseh  1 , Bradford S Pierce  1 , Melody Mickens  1
Affiliations

Personality Traits in College Students and Caregiving for a Relative with a Chronic Health Condition

Michael A Trujillo et al. J Aging Res. 2016.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate among college students the relationship between personality traits and willingness to care for a relative with a chronic health condition. 329 undergraduate students completed an online questionnaire. Hierarchical multiple regressions found that after controlling for demographics personality traits explained 10% of the variance in willingness to provide emotional care, 7% in instrumental care, and 7% in nursing care. Within these models, greater empathy was uniquely associated with willingness to provide emotional, instrumental, and nursing care for a family member in the future. Similarly, participants with high agreeableness were more willing to provide emotional care, and participant older age was a unique predictor of instrumental care. The results can help shape research on interventions that incorporate perspective taking, motivational interviewing, and training in life skills as a means of boosting college students' willingness to provide care for a relative with a chronic health condition.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Interaction of employment status by neuroticism on willingness to provide instrumental care.
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