Childhood experiences and adult community participation in secular and religious contexts in 22 countries

Participation in community groups (including both secular and religious groups) is associated with improved health, well-being, and societal cohesion. However, less is known about conditions that increase community participation, especially childhood factors. Using data from 202,898 adults across 22 countries, this study evaluated childhood antecedents of adult community participation in both secular and religious contexts. Associations were examined in each country separately, and also cross-nationally by meta-analytically pooling country-specific estimates. Results suggest that frequent religious service attendance in childhood was the strongest predictor for both adult secular community participation and adult religious service attendance. In addition, several other childhood experiences, including living comfortably financially, child abuse, feeling like an outsider in the family, having excellent self-rated health, a later birth cohort, and being male, were also each associated with a greater likelihood of adult weekly⁺ secular participation; The childhood experiences of having good relationship with father, having married parents, and an earlier birth cohort were also each positively associated with adult weekly⁺ religious service attendance. The direction and strength of these associations differed by country, indicating diverse societal influences. The findings provide insights into childhood experiences that may shape different forms of community participation later in life across societies.