Using Cox’s Proportional Hazard Model on the full sample we tested the association of each personality scale with mortality risk while controlling for demographic characteristics. Being older and male was associated with increased risk of death, but ethnicity and education were not significant predictors of mortality and were excluded from the final models. The hazard ratios associated with each personality scale are reported in Table 2. High levels of General Activity, Emotional Stability (low Neuroticism), and Conscientiousness were associated with lower mortality risk, such that every one SD increase was related to about 13%, 15%, and 27% risk reduction, respectively. A Cox regression model, using the forward stepwise (Wald) enter criteria, tested simultaneously the above three significant predictors. The results indicate that Conscientiousness (HR = 0.976, 95%CI = 0.957–0.996) and Emotional Stability (HR = 0.987, 95%CI = 0.975–0.998) are independent predictors of mortality. General Activity did not contribute significantly to this model, which is not surprising given that Conscientiousness was derived from the mean of General Activity and Restraint.
