Type D personality in patients with colorectal cancer

Introduction: Due to the importance of the problem for public health and the current lack of agreement between published observations regarding the type of personality that may be associated with an increased risk of cancer, a study was carried out to assess the incidence and basic demographic, social and health circumstances of the presence of type D personality and its diagnostic components in patients with colorectal cancer. Material and methods: 200 patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer participated in the questionnaire study. In order to identify the final predictors influencing the incidence of type D personality and its diagnostic components, a logistic regression analysis was performed, along with verification of the parameterization using the automatic backward selection method. Results: 55% of the respondents in the study group had type D personality traits. Among the determinants influencing the incidence of type D personality, the following variables were: gender, education, satisfaction with medical care, the presence of chronic diseases and the patient’s physical fitness. 89.5% of the respondents were qualified to the negative affectivity (negatywna emocjonalność – NE) dimension, and 57.5% of the respondents met the criteria of the social inhibition (hamowanie społeczne – HS) dimension. Among the determinants influencing the incidence of the NE dimension there were the following variables: religion, financial situation and the presence of chronic diseases. The incidence of the HS dimension was influenced by the following variables: gender, education, satisfaction with medical care and the patient’s physical fitness. Conclusions: Type D personality is more common in women, among patients with lower than secondary education and among patients with chronic diseases. The NE dimension is more frequent in patients with chronic diseases, satisfied with their financial situation and declaring religious values. The HS dimension is more frequent in women and among patients with a lower than secondary education.