Demographic Variation in Social Support and Intimate Friend Across 22 Countries: A Cross-National Analysis

• DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/pr2tg_v1
• Publication Date: 2025-04-03T17:40:36Z
• Authors: James L. Ritchie-...; George Yancey; Shunsuke Managi; Caroline Bartel; Rebecca Bonhag; R. Noah Padgett; Koichiro Shiba; Byron R. Johnson; Tyler J. VanderWeele
• Keywords: Variation (astronomy)

Prior research documents strong associations between social support and having an intimate friend with improved health well-being outcomes, most of the evidence based on data from U.S. However, less is known about how these indicators close connections differ across countries demographic groups within those different countries. This study presents in-depth, cross-national exploration its variations key groups. Using a diverse international dataset 202,898 individuals 22 countries, this paper examines relationships levels support, friend, demographics, including: age, gender, marital status, employment education, immigration status. The descriptive results present ordered means proportion Globally, people report (84%) who will help them (7.4 scale 0-10), both which, however, vary greatly highlight does not. They also greatly, overall, by educational level, religious service attendance. work illuminates distributions statistics features offers insight into country-specific that lay valuable foundation for future investigations sociocultural influences might shape connections.