Is Conscientiousness Always Associated With Better Health? A U.S.-Japan Cross-Cultural Examination of Biological Health Risk.

ABSTRACT: In Western societies, conscientiousness is associated with better health. Here, we tested whether this pattern would extend to East Asian, collectivistic societies. In these societies, social obligation motivated by conscientiousness could be excessive and thus health-impairing. We tested this prediction using cross-cultural surveys of Americans (N = 1,054) and Japanese (N = 382). Biomarkers of inflammation (interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein) and cardiovascular malfunction (systolic blood pressure and total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio) were adopted to define biological health risk (BHR). Among Americans, conscientiousness was associated with lower BHR. Moreover, this relationship was mediated by healthy lifestyle. In contrast, among Japanese, the relationship between conscien

SUBMITTER: Kitayama S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7746573 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature