Optimism on quality of life in Portuguese chronic patients: moderator/mediator?

Objective: optimism is an important variable that has consistently been shown to affect adjustment to quality of life in chronic diseases. This study aims to clarify if dispositional optimism exerts a moderating or a mediating influence on the personality traits-quality of life association, in Port...

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Main Authors: Estela Vilhena, José Pais-Ribeiro, Isabel Silva, Luísa Pedro, Rute F. Meneses, Helena Cardoso, António Martins da Silva, Denisa Mendonça
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Associação Médica Brasileira 2014-07-01
Series:Revista da Associação Médica Brasileira
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0104-42302014000400373&lng=en&tlng=en
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spelling doaj-3e72e21020ef488f92b73433e668d9712020-11-25T02:49:14ZengAssociação Médica BrasileiraRevista da Associação Médica Brasileira1806-92822014-07-0160437338010.1590/1806-9282.60.04.017S0104-42302014000400373Optimism on quality of life in Portuguese chronic patients: moderator/mediator?Estela VilhenaJosé Pais-RibeiroIsabel SilvaLuísa PedroRute F. MenesesHelena CardosoAntónio Martins da SilvaDenisa MendonçaObjective: optimism is an important variable that has consistently been shown to affect adjustment to quality of life in chronic diseases. This study aims to clarify if dispositional optimism exerts a moderating or a mediating influence on the personality traits-quality of life association, in Portuguese chronic patients. Methods: multiple regression models were used to test the moderation and mediation effects of dispositional optimism in quality of life. A sample of 729 patients was recruited in Portugal's main hospitals and completed self-reported questionnaires assessing socio-demographic and clinical variables, personality, dispositional optimism, quality of life (QoL) and subjective well-being (SWB). Results: the results of the regression models showed that dispositional optimism did not moderate the relationships between personality traits and quality of life. After controlling for gender, age, education level and severity of disease perception, the effects of personality traits on QoL and in SWB were mediated by dispositional optimism (partially and completely), except for the links between neuroticism/openness to experience and physical health. Conclusion: dispositional optimism is more likely to play a mediating, rather than a moderating role in personality traits-quality of life pathway in Portuguese chronic patients, suggesting that "the expectation that good things will happen" contributes to a better quality of life and subjective well-being.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0104-42302014000400373&lng=en&tlng=endoença crônicaotimismomediadormoderadortraços de personalidadequalidade de vida
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Estela Vilhena
José Pais-Ribeiro
Isabel Silva
Luísa Pedro
Rute F. Meneses
Helena Cardoso
António Martins da Silva
Denisa Mendonça
spellingShingle Estela Vilhena
José Pais-Ribeiro
Isabel Silva
Luísa Pedro
Rute F. Meneses
Helena Cardoso
António Martins da Silva
Denisa Mendonça
Optimism on quality of life in Portuguese chronic patients: moderator/mediator?
Revista da Associação Médica Brasileira
doença crônica
otimismo
mediador
moderador
traços de personalidade
qualidade de vida
author_facet Estela Vilhena
José Pais-Ribeiro
Isabel Silva
Luísa Pedro
Rute F. Meneses
Helena Cardoso
António Martins da Silva
Denisa Mendonça
author_sort Estela Vilhena
title Optimism on quality of life in Portuguese chronic patients: moderator/mediator?
title_short Optimism on quality of life in Portuguese chronic patients: moderator/mediator?
title_full Optimism on quality of life in Portuguese chronic patients: moderator/mediator?
title_fullStr Optimism on quality of life in Portuguese chronic patients: moderator/mediator?
title_full_unstemmed Optimism on quality of life in Portuguese chronic patients: moderator/mediator?
title_sort optimism on quality of life in portuguese chronic patients: moderator/mediator?
publisher Associação Médica Brasileira
series Revista da Associação Médica Brasileira
issn 1806-9282
publishDate 2014-07-01
description Objective: optimism is an important variable that has consistently been shown to affect adjustment to quality of life in chronic diseases. This study aims to clarify if dispositional optimism exerts a moderating or a mediating influence on the personality traits-quality of life association, in Portuguese chronic patients. Methods: multiple regression models were used to test the moderation and mediation effects of dispositional optimism in quality of life. A sample of 729 patients was recruited in Portugal's main hospitals and completed self-reported questionnaires assessing socio-demographic and clinical variables, personality, dispositional optimism, quality of life (QoL) and subjective well-being (SWB). Results: the results of the regression models showed that dispositional optimism did not moderate the relationships between personality traits and quality of life. After controlling for gender, age, education level and severity of disease perception, the effects of personality traits on QoL and in SWB were mediated by dispositional optimism (partially and completely), except for the links between neuroticism/openness to experience and physical health. Conclusion: dispositional optimism is more likely to play a mediating, rather than a moderating role in personality traits-quality of life pathway in Portuguese chronic patients, suggesting that "the expectation that good things will happen" contributes to a better quality of life and subjective well-being.
topic doença crônica
otimismo
mediador
moderador
traços de personalidade
qualidade de vida
url http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0104-42302014000400373&lng=en&tlng=en
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