Survey of Health Problems and Personality in Air Traffic Controllers

Abstract

A national postal survey was undertaken utilizing a highly stressed occupational group, air traffic controllers. Of the 400 randomly selected Canadian controllers, 217 returned questionnaires on Type A behavior pattern and health problems. In multiple regression analyses, the incidence of health problems was predicted by specific personality traits associated with Type A behavior pattern (e.g., time urgency, job dissatisfaction, and volatility). A global measure of Type A behavior pattern alone was not found to be a useful predictor in the regression analyses. Specific personality characteristics were also better predictors of the incidence of illness than well-known risk factors, such as diet, weight, and family history of illness. The interpretation of these results is qualified by noting that correlations between variables alone do not provide sufficient evidence for causation (but nonetheless are a necessary precondition).