Personality and Health Behavior Changes After Pulmonary Rehabilitation: A Longitudinal Observational Study

Objective: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is the gold standard treatment for improving the health status of individuals with chronic respiratory diseases (CRD). However, to achieve lasting results, the adoption and maintenance of a physically active lifestyle are necessary. Unfortunately, the trajectories of change in physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) following PR are marked by a high degree of heterogeneity between patients. This study aimed to better understand the factors underlying this variability by investigating the role played by the personality as defined by the five-factor model. Design: Eighty eight CRD patients were assessed on personality upon PR admission (Time 1). PA and SB were assessed at Time 1 and 6 months post-PR (Time 2) using questionnaires. Results: Multiple regression analyses revealed that "healthy neuroticism" is associated with an increase in PA 6 months after PR (beta = .20, p < .05) independently of the PA at Time 1. A high level of neuroticism, when it is paired with a low level of conscientiousness, is related to an increase in SB 6 months after PR (beta = -.20, p < .01), when the SB and exercise tolerance at Time 1 were controlled for. Conclusion: These findings highlight that investigating the interaction between personality traits is relevant to a better understanding of the interindividual differences in changes in PA and SB after PR in patients with CRD. The behavioral effects of PR could be improved if patients' personality traits were taken into account in the design of behavior-change interventions.