A Longitudinal Study of Personality and Disease Incidence Among Antarctic Winter-Over Volunteers

• Main Authors: Palinkas, Lawrence A., Stern, Martin J., Holbrook, Troy L.
• Other Authors: NAVAL HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER SAN DIEGO CA
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1986
• Subjects: Psychology; Medicine and Medical Research; Stress Physiology; *STRESS(PHYSIOLOGY); *DISEASES; *PERSONALITY; CONTROL; RISK; HAZARDS; MEDICINE; HISTORY; INVENTORY; ANTARCTIC REGIONS; RECORDS; PHYSIOLOGY; WINTER; VOLUNTEERS; ENLISTED PERSONNEL; MODELS; NAVAL PERSONNEL; COLD STRESS(PHYSIOLOGY); PE61152N; WU6035; Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA178429; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA178429

This study examined the relationship between certain personality characteristics and the long term risk for disease incidence. Subjects were 2, 724 enlisted Navy men who volunteered to winter-over in Antarctica between 1963 and 1964. Men who actually wintered-over were compared with a control group of personnel found to be acceptable for winter-over duty but assigned elsewhere. Both groups were followed using medical and service history records to determine rates of all-cause first hospitalizations. Personality was measured using the FIRO-B scales and an inventory specially designed for evaluation winter-over personnel. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the contribution of each personality characteristic, age, education, and winter-over experience to disease risk. Results indicated that age was positively correlated with increased disease risk while education and the personality measures of Control-Expressed and Achievement need were negatively correlated. Those who did not winter-over in Antarctica had a significantly higher independent risk for subsequent disease incidence than the winter-over group.