Understanding the Personalities of Patients Who Sustained Minor Injuries Attending the Emergency Department in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Abstract

Background: Injuries from road traffic accidents, falls, and other causes are a global health burden. In Malaysia, while mechanical and geographical factors in injuries are well studied, the role of psychosocial aspects, such as personality traits, remains underexplored. This study investigates the influence of personality traits, measured by the Universiti Sains Malaysia Personality Inventory (USMaP-i), on minor injury occurrence among patients at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, focusing on extraversion, neuroticism, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 150 adult patients, comparing those with minor injuries to a control group without injuries. The Big Five personality traits were assessed using the USMaP-i, and associations with injury risk were analysed using independent t-tests, Pearson's chi-square tests, and multiple logistic regression (MLR).

Results: Significant associations were identified between specific personality traits and injury risk. Higher levels of extraversion were correlated with an increased injury risk, whereas openness demonstrated a protective effect. Gender also played a role, with males showing a 2.8- fold higher likelihood of injury than females. Other traits, such as neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, were not significantly associated with injury occurrence.

Conclusion: Extraversion and openness significantly influenced the injury risk. The findings of this study enable the development of evidence-based prevention strategies through i) personality-based screening in the emergency department to identify high-risk individuals, particularly those with elevated extraversion scores; ii) targeted safety education programmes addressing trait-specific risk behaviours; and iii) gender-specific interventions focusing on male risk-taking tendencies. These tailored approaches can enhance existing injury prevention frameworks by incorporating psychological and behavioural factors alongside traditional safety measures.