Association of personality, neighbourhood, and civic participation with the level of perceived social support: the HUNT study, a cross-sectional survey

• Aim:The aim of the current study was to examine the association of personality,neighbourhood, and civic participation on the level of perceived social support if needed.Methods:The sample consists of a total of 35,797 men (16,035) and women (19,762) drawnfrom the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study 3 (HUNT3), aged 20-89, with a fully completed shortversion of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) including a complete response toquestions regarding perceived social support. A multinomial logistic regression model wasused to investigate the association between the three-category outcomes (high, medium, andlow) of perceived social support.Results: The Chi-square test detected a significant (p <0.001) association between personality, sense of community, civic participation, self-ratedhealth, living arrangement, age groups, gender, and perceived social support except betweenperceived social support and loss of social network in which no significance was found. Thecrude and adjusted multinomial logistic regression models shows relation between mediumand low scores on perceived social support, personality, and sources of social support.Interactions were observed between gender and self-rated health.Conclusions: There is anassociation between the level of perceived social support and personality, sense ofcommunity in the neighbourhood, and civic participation. Even if the interactionbetween men and self-reported health decreases the odds for low and medium socialsupport, health professionals should be aware of men with poor health and their lack ofsocial support.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Annan hälsovetenskap (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Other Health Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Perceived social support

general populations survey

extroversion

neuroticism

sense of

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)