OBJECTIVES: There is a long standing theory, suggested that there are personality traits, which in combination coping strategies and biomedical factors can predict cancer or coronary heart disease in healthy probands (Hansen, Floderus, Fredriksen, Johansen et. al, 2005). The authors of the Personality/Stress Questionnaire has suggested that can predict cancer or CHD in healthy probands in 81% accuracy (Grossarth-Maticek, Eysenck, Boyle, 1991, 1995). We tested the hypothesis that personality plays a role in cancer or CHD onset in a potentially healthy population.
METHODS: From the global healthy probands sample (n= 1 087 (both sexes) we were selected (N=131) men and women in polish population, aged 24-65 completed the “Personality/Stress” Questionnaire. The Classification Trees Module with two algorithms CART (Classification and Regression Trees) the Discriminant Analysis and Logistic Regression (STATISTICA PL) was used for analysis.
RESULTS: MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS:
The CLASSIFICATION OF THE TREES ANALYSIS for the “PERSONALITY/STRESS” QUESTIONNAIRE, showed that in 80, 15%, we can classify people in terms of belonging to one from four types correctly (TYPE I-cancer prone; TYPE II-CHD prone; TYPE III- ambivalence and TYPE IV-autonomous, healthy). Based on the importance ranking of predictors TYPE II (open behavior pattern, CHD-prone) = 100 (was a most ranged predictors); TYPE I VARIABLE (withdrawing) = 93; Type III (ambivalent) = 77 Type IV (healthy, autonomous) = 95.
LOGISTIC REGRESSION for the “PERSONALITY/STRESS” QUESTIONNAIRE:
Values of Chi-square statistics
were significant at: p=.00712; Constant
value (BO) = -0,429; X2 (7) = 10,368;
SD=1,321; T= -0,325. The largest
share of the variability have TYPE II (open
behavior pattern, CHD prone) which informs us of the fact that the studied group of people, is determined to open behavior pattern in
a stressful situation, but still prone to the incidence of cardiovascular
disease. In this population based on the potentially
healthy probands using with the "Personality
/ Stress" Questionnaire
can predict with 68.7% accuracy.
DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS
In the current case, the hypothesis
was rejected at a
significance level of p <0.01, and its approximation using the F-statistic, is - 0.862955616. The values of the lambda Wilks' statistics are L=0,862945616 ;
Chi 2 (square)= 18,49915123; DF=0,00992455; level of significance (p=0,00992455).
Based on standardized discriminatory
coefficients for the "Personality
/ Stress" Questionnaire
found that the greatest power in the discriminant model
has a variable - Type II (open
pattern of behavior); for it the partial lambda
L was smallest (Y(x)=-.209). Discriminative power of the
model can be described as a moderate;
it can be expected given the personality type and reaction
to stress factors in 97,11% predictive accuracy.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that The Personality/Stress Questionnaire is an appropriate and effective method for eliciting peoples for one of four types` personality and coping strategies. But such studies should be carried out on a large number of peoples (longitudinal and follow-up study), having regard to the cultural differences and biomedical factors.