Cultural values: can they explain self-reported health?

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Public Health
• Cross-cultural Psychology

Background:

• Self-reported health (SRH) is a key metric in global health research.
• Observed international disparities in SRH suggest cultural influences.
• Cultural values are often proposed as a factor explaining these SRH differences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between World Values Survey (WVS) cultural dimensions and SRH.
• To examine these associations both within and between 51 countries.
• To determine if cultural values explain differences in self-reported health.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 51 countries via the World Values Survey (WVS).
• Integrated macroeconomic data from the World Bank.
• Employed multilevel mixed models to analyze SRH and WVS cultural dimensions, controlling for socio-demographic and economic factors.

Main Results:

• The survival/self-expression cultural dimension positively correlated with SRH within countries.
• The traditional/rational-secular dimension showed a negative association with SRH in most countries.
• Associations between cultural values and SRH were consistent both within and between countries, unaffected by controls.

Conclusions:

• World Values Survey (WVS) cultural dimensions are significant predictors of self-reported health (SRH).
• Contrary to hypotheses, traditional/rational-secular values were negatively linked to SRH.
• Cultural context is crucial for interpreting international variations in self-reported health.