Research

The vast majority of previous research on this area is restricted to high-income countries and runs on separate avenues, with national studies using individual data to explore micro-social processes and cross-national studies using aggregate data to explore macro-social processes. We have addressed these limitations by assembling and utilizing a massive dataset with multilevel scope and longitudinal dimension, including about 500,000 individuals that were observed in 100 countries since 1980. The inclusion of a large number of low- and middle-income countries over time provides a unique opportunity to answer the call for research on social and policy influences on health to be more cross-national and dynamic in its orientation.

Our key publications in this area focus on individuals within a larger context, with particular attention to subjective well-being and lifestyle of individuals in countries varying with respect to unemployment program characteristics, pension policy design, cultural values, economic development, unemployment rates, and anti-tobacco legislation.