Longitudinal findings from the normative aging study: III. Personality, individual health trajectories, and mortality

Individual differences in physical and psychological health trajectories we re examined in 1,515 Normative Aging Study men. Mean age at baseline was 47 .15 years (range = 28-80), and average follow up was 18.55 years (range = 8 -25). Both linear and nonlinear growth curves were estimated with random-ef fects models and then clustered to identify patterns of change. Men whose p hysical health trajectories were characterized by high, increasing symptoms were higher in hostility and anxiety, were overweight, and smoked. Those w hose trajectories were characterized by low symptoms were emotionally stabl e, educated, nonsmokers, and thin. Men with high, stable psychological traj ectories had high hostility; those with low, stable trajectories had high e motional stability those with moderate anxiety levels had nonlinear traject ories with peaks in psychological symptoms at different life stages. Person ality had life-long effects on health trajectories, but these effects varie d across traits and health outcomes.