Five-factor model personality traits and 24-h urinary cortisol in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.

Stress is implicated in models of personality and health as a mechanism that explains why traits like conscientiousness and neuroticism are associated with long-term health outcomes. Evidence for an association between personality and cortisol, a biological marker of stress, however, has been inconsistent. This study examined the association between Five-Factor Model personality traits and 24-h urinary cortisol (operationalised as a ratio of urinary free cortisol to creatinine) measured up to 12 times over intervals as long as 30 years in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (M  = 61.