The distribution of optimism across sociodemographic groups in 22 countries
Abstract Prior research (mainly from Western industrialized countries) documents associations between greater dispositional optimism (a generalized expectation that good things will happen) and improved health and well-being. However, less is known about whether and how levels of optimism differ acr...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-77257-1 |
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| author | Ying Chen Laura D. Kubzansky Eric S. Kim Hayami Koga Koichiro Shiba R. Noah Padgett Renae Wilkinson Byron R. Johnson Tyler J. VanderWeele |
| author_facet | Ying Chen Laura D. Kubzansky Eric S. Kim Hayami Koga Koichiro Shiba R. Noah Padgett Renae Wilkinson Byron R. Johnson Tyler J. VanderWeele |
| author_sort | Ying Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Prior research (mainly from Western industrialized countries) documents associations between greater dispositional optimism (a generalized expectation that good things will happen) and improved health and well-being. However, less is known about whether and how levels of optimism differ across countries and across sociodemographic groups within different countries. This study presents a cross-national exploration of optimism, and its variations across sociodemographic groups. Using a sample of 202,898 adults from 22 diverse countries, we examined the relationships between optimism and key sociodemographic factors in each country separately, and cross-nationally by pooling results across countries using meta-analytic techniques. Our results suggest that mean optimism levels vary substantially across countries. Optimism also varies significantly across most of the sociodemographic factors included in our analyses. In the pooled results across countries, individuals who are older, female, married, employed, highly educated, attending religious services frequently, and native-born reported higher mean optimism levels. In the country-specific analyses, the sociodemographic variation in optimism differs across countries, indicating diverse societal influences. The findings of this study provide novel insights into the population distribution of optimism and disparities in optimism by sociodemographic groups across countries. This study provides a valuable foundation for future investigations into sociocultural influences that shape optimism. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-29b2dfd857a84d65af4aedf0efc076a4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-29b2dfd857a84d65af4aedf0efc076a42025-08-20T03:52:24ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-04-0115111210.1038/s41598-024-77257-1The distribution of optimism across sociodemographic groups in 22 countriesYing Chen0Laura D. Kubzansky1Eric S. Kim2Hayami Koga3Koichiro Shiba4R. Noah Padgett5Renae Wilkinson6Byron R. Johnson7Tyler J. VanderWeele8Human Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard UniversityDepartment of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthHuman Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard UniversityDepartment of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthDepartment of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public HealthHuman Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard UniversityHuman Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard UniversityHuman Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard UniversityHuman Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard UniversityAbstract Prior research (mainly from Western industrialized countries) documents associations between greater dispositional optimism (a generalized expectation that good things will happen) and improved health and well-being. However, less is known about whether and how levels of optimism differ across countries and across sociodemographic groups within different countries. This study presents a cross-national exploration of optimism, and its variations across sociodemographic groups. Using a sample of 202,898 adults from 22 diverse countries, we examined the relationships between optimism and key sociodemographic factors in each country separately, and cross-nationally by pooling results across countries using meta-analytic techniques. Our results suggest that mean optimism levels vary substantially across countries. Optimism also varies significantly across most of the sociodemographic factors included in our analyses. In the pooled results across countries, individuals who are older, female, married, employed, highly educated, attending religious services frequently, and native-born reported higher mean optimism levels. In the country-specific analyses, the sociodemographic variation in optimism differs across countries, indicating diverse societal influences. The findings of this study provide novel insights into the population distribution of optimism and disparities in optimism by sociodemographic groups across countries. This study provides a valuable foundation for future investigations into sociocultural influences that shape optimism.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-77257-1OptimismCultureDemographic variationWell-beingGlobal Flourishing Study |
| spellingShingle | Ying Chen Laura D. Kubzansky Eric S. Kim Hayami Koga Koichiro Shiba R. Noah Padgett Renae Wilkinson Byron R. Johnson Tyler J. VanderWeele The distribution of optimism across sociodemographic groups in 22 countries Scientific Reports Optimism Culture Demographic variation Well-being Global Flourishing Study |
| title | The distribution of optimism across sociodemographic groups in 22 countries |
| title_full | The distribution of optimism across sociodemographic groups in 22 countries |
| title_fullStr | The distribution of optimism across sociodemographic groups in 22 countries |
| title_full_unstemmed | The distribution of optimism across sociodemographic groups in 22 countries |
| title_short | The distribution of optimism across sociodemographic groups in 22 countries |
| title_sort | distribution of optimism across sociodemographic groups in 22 countries |
| topic | Optimism Culture Demographic variation Well-being Global Flourishing Study |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-77257-1 |
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