New research suggests that people with hostile personality traits who watch more television than their peers may be at a greater risk for injury, CBS News reported.

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh found that a reduction in television viewing and content rating systems geared not just to age, but also personality traits, may reduce injury risk. They believe this correlation exist because hostile people who frequently watch television may be more susceptible to the influence of television on violence and risk-taking behaviors,

"Television viewing is very pervasive, with televisions in almost 99 percent of American households. And injuries cause more than half the deaths among people ages 1 through 44. This means that even modest reductions in television viewing, particularly among people predisposed to hostility, could have major positive outcomes for public health," Anthony Fabio, lead author of the study, said in a statement.

For the study, researchers collected and analyzed data from more than 4,000 adults who participated in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study, 90.5 WESA reported. For 15 years starting in 1990, the participants periodically reported their television viewing habits and completed in-depth questionnaires to assess their personality traits. The researchers also recorded all injuries requiring hospitalization.

As the amount of television viewing increased, so did the risk of injuries in the next five years. Notably, this relationship risk was greater for those in the "high hostility" group, which was determined by a scientific questionnaire. For example, for high-hostile individuals, watching more TV at year five was associated with 40 percent higher odds of injury at year 10. Additionally, watching more TV at year 15 was associated with a doubling in the odds of injury at year 20.

This association did not occur in individuals with less hostile personalities.

The findings are detailed in the International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion.