Is health protective behaviour in adolescents related to personality? A study of sun protective behaviour and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (junior version) in Queensland

In a study of moles in 211 adolescents, information on sun protective behaviour was collected, in addition to the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. The relationship between the neuroticism, extraversion, psychoticism and lie scale and several types of sun protective behaviour was examined. Consistent with well-established fact that there is a gender difference, girls exhibit more sun protective behaviour than boys, as well as demonstrating different personality profiles. Controlling for these factors we found that psychoticism scale decreases while the lie scale increases with sun protective behaviours. The findings suggest that programmes aimed at reducing skin cancer in the future through the promotion of healthy practices in early life should take into account the different behaviours found with different personalities. This is an approach which has not been exploited sufficiently and holds promise for the future.